Student Spotlight: Graduating Senior Grace Morgan

The curtain is coming to a close on Grace Morgan’s time at UW-Madison. A spring 2025 graduate from the Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering degree, Grace is reflecting on her time at UW and setting her sights on the horizon. Passionate about biomechanics, Grace is ready to take all the skills and knowledge she has gained from her degree to influence the biomechanics field as she starts her next chapter!

What has your engineering journey been like? Did you ‘always’ want to be an engineer?

I’ve always wanted to learn about the world around me. Growing up, I was always doing experiments to learn more, whether it be about plants or space. When I was in middle school, I joined the robotics team, and I loved it! However, I was determined to not be an engineer. I even told my dad, who’s an engineer, that I would not be an engineer. The older I got though, the more I found myself gravitating toward math and engineering classes. I loved designing things and solving problems. As I learned more about engineering, I found that it is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to use science to build solutions to problems.

How did you decide to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering?

When I first came to UW-Madison, I started down the path of majoring in Biomedical Engineering because I wanted to do engineering but was also interested in biology and how the body works. During my freshman year, however, I realized I was more interested in the mechanics of how things worked and had a broader interest than just biology. I also discovered the Biology of Engineering Certificate, which allowed me to take biology and biomedical engineering classes and still pursue the mechanical engineering classes I enjoyed. Knowing I could specialize in biomechanics within the mechanical engineering degree, sealed the decision for me.

Can you share more about your research interests and expertise?

My sophomore year, I was able to explore my biomechanics interests even more by joining the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab, which uses wave speeds in tendons to measure force within the tendon or muscle. This lab has revolutionized my college experience. It allowed me to apply my learning to something that interested me. Under the guidance of Professor Darryl Thelen, I served as an undergraduate student researcher and Faustin Prinz research fellow to lead my own research project studying the forces in the tendons of the wrist. This research has changed my engineering trajectory and has encouraged me to pursue graduate school to learn even more about the human body, in hopes of continuing to push innovation and science forward.

Did any mentors/professors make an impact on your experience during your time at UW-Madison?

The one person who has had the greatest impact on my college experience is Dr. Darryl Thelen, the principal investigator in my lab. He has encouraged me to pursue my interests and achieve my dreams. He even gave me the tools with which to achieve them. Through his mentorship, I have been able to grow as a researcher and critical thinker, which has helped me in every aspect of my life. His belief in me has motivated me to take on new challenges, such as leading my own research project. He constantly pushes me to gain new skills, ideas, and to think things through, and I am very thankful for his mentorship and the opportunities he has given me.

Professor Corinne Henak has also been a great mentor to me. She has been very supportive of my goals and has helped me learn a lot about biomechanics. Not only has she been a brilliant professor, but she has also inspired me personally. Her passion for research and teaching have deeply influenced the way I see myself in biomechanics and research.

The last shoutout I would like to give is to Joe Adriaens, a process development engineer at Boston Scientific. Joe has helped shape my perspective on professional development and personal growth. Through his mentorship, I learned how to work effectively in a diverse team and how other people’s expertise may lead to an incredible outcome. He also demonstrated that it is possible to excel at work while maintaining a work-life balance and that life isn’t just about achieving things but also helping others. I strive to communicate and balance everything as well as he does.

Are you involved in any student organizations? Which ones and what is your involvement?

I refuse to just let life pass me by. If I want to improve the world around me, I feel I must connect and experience as much of life as possible. To put this philosophy to practice during my college years, I joined a variety of student organizations. I am passionate about each and every one of these orgs individually, but together they have shaped me into the engineer I am today.

A group I was a part of in my early college years was the Society of Women Engineer’s (SWE) Tech Team. As a part of this group, I got to participate in the Boeing Tech team competition, where we won first place in the nation for our off-grid refrigeration storage unit. This project was in collaboration with Trane Technologies and our goal was to create an off-grid refrigeration storage unit for small farmers and low-income communities. As an internal design team lead, I had the opportunity to grow as a leader and improve my design skills. I organized our timeline, showed people how to model and prototype, and determined how to make the unit more user-friendly. I also learned to communicate my thoughts in a professional manner and how to facilitate discussion so everyone’s ideas can be heard and leveraged to optimize our team.

Another group I have been involved with is A Moment of Magic, a nonprofit community outreach organization that supports children with cancer. In this group, I am a fairytale character who visits medically vulnerable or underserved kids to give them strength and bring “magic” into their lives. I have found participating in this group not only helps the community around me, but brings me joy as well. As an engineer, I am often immersed in the physics and math behind building technology. By volunteering with this club, I can see firsthand the impact the technology and concepts I study have on the world around me. A Moment of Magic also allows me a break from my STEM heavy life and an opportunity to enjoy other aspects.

Other groups I have been involved with include, Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, and the Women in Mechanical Engineering (WME) mentorship program. Through these organizations, I was able to volunteer; learn more about industry and academia; network with professionals, faculty, and peers; and serve as a mentor for female engineers.

Although this may seem like a lot of organizations, I would not trade my busy life for the world. I love the amount of learning and growing I do with each of these groups. I have been able to make an impact on the world around me even though I am just receiving my engineering degree. These groups have shown me many different paths I can take to reach my goals and have broadened my interests. Most importantly though, these groups have given me a sense of community, belonging, and purpose in a world where it is easy to feel alone and overwhelmed.

Please share about any internship/co-op experiences. What did you do there and why was it worthwhile?

During my time at Madison, I found my experiences with internships to be invaluable. In fact, I have had an internship every summer since graduating high school. The first two summers I worked at Alumacraft, a boat manufacturing company, where I got to work on a variety of projects. Some of the projects included programming brake presses to show operators the part they had to make and the order in which they needed to bend the part, and leading the initial installation of a critical piece of machinery. Through these experiences, I learned the importance of listening to the customer; how to work with third party vendors to understand safety standards, maintenance, and machine operation; and how to solve problems and balance multiple projects.

After my experiences with Alumacraft, I got an internship at Boston Scientific. I worked there for the last two summers, one summer in Research & Development and the other in Process Development. These internships have allowed me to run studies, build prototypes, and delve more into biomechanics and how to design products for the human body. Through these experiences I have grown as an engineer and realized what kind of job I want to pursue.

What are your plans for after graduation? How did your ME studies/research help you prepare for your next steps?

After graduation, I plan to pursue a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering here at UW-Madison. The research I currently do has inspired me to pursue a graduate degree. The UW-Madison engineering program has educated me and taught me how to learn and explore my interests. The professors and faculty I’ve encountered here have taught me how to understand and solve problems that we face everyday. I want to be a part of that advancement of knowledge and learn even more about the biomechanics of the body and the science behind it.

To wrap up, I would like to give a general thank you to UW-Madison. This school has had a profound impact on my life and my goals personally, professionally, and academically. It is because of this university I am who I am today, and I am excited to see how UW-Madison continues to impact my life. Thank you for this opportunity!

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