URI senior Meghan Collins, currently doing her IEP internship at Siemens Medical Solutions in Madrid, was recently selected from more than 750 national applicants for the Meredith Thorns Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the National Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

SWE administers over 70 individual scholarship awards annually, varying in amount from $1,000 to more than $5,000 per year, and totaling more than $200,000. SWE Scholarships are open only to women pursuing baccalaureate or graduate degrees in engineering or computer science, as well as engineering and computer science students enrolled in ABET-accredited engineering programs. 

We caught up with Meghan by e-mail to discuss the achievements that led to her receiving the award, and to learn more about her plans for the future. 

L.N., “Congratulations on the SWE scholarship. How did you manage to beat out so many other qualified applicants?”

M.C., “I attended a scholarships workshop at the SWE 2003 National Conference, and it was there that I learned about the many scholarship opportunities available through national SWE.

I felt I was qualified to apply for a SWE scholarship because of my academic record and engineering activities. I joined the URI chapter of SWE my sophomore year and became more involved by working on a committee for the annual Minorities in Engineering Diversity Banquet, and was elected secretary for the upcoming academic year (2002-2003).  As secretary I kept meeting minutes for board meetings and general meetings, helped recruit new members, cochaired the annual Minorities in Engineering Diversity Banquet, and helped plan activities for the organization.  At the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year, I was elected president. During my tenure, I generated more than $5,000 for the organization, and coordinated the participation of four students (myself included) in the National Conference in Birmingham, Ala.

I have also served as finance chair of the IEEE S-PAC, and member of the NSBE.  I have a 3.78 GPA, and I have also been involved in a number of extracurricular activities, from working as a Rhody the Ram mascot to serving as a URI campus tour guide. I was also one of 60 students chosen nationwide to present my summer research at the International Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Fall Meeting 2003.”

L.N., “ What are your educational goals?”

M.C., “I will graduate from URI in May 2005 with three bachelor’s degrees: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and a B.A. in Spanish. I am unsure whether I will attend graduate school or not, but I have taken my GREs, and have been in contact with the biomedical engineering departments at Purdue, John Hopkins, and Duke. If I do attend graduate school, it will be for a master’s in biomedical engineering.  Also, in the future, after working for a few years, I plan to get an MBA.”

L.N., “What are your career goals?”

M.C., “I want to work in the medical devices and technology sector of biomedical engineering.  Based on my current internship experience here at Siemens Medical Solutions, S.A. (Madrid, Spain), I would love to work on an international level, whether it is overseas or as an international liaison.  I am interested in product development, but have also developed a new interest in the international market.  I plan to get an MBA eventually, and hope to hold an executive position in an international engineering company.”