Ursula Gibson

Ursula Gibson

Title
Associate Professor
Organization
Dartmouth College
Location
NH
Ursula Gibson
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Answers by Ursula Gibson
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Hi, My name is Erica. I'm a senior in highschool and am still unsure of what degree I want to go into. I am good in math and am partly interested in nanotechnology. What field would nanotechnology be placed in in engineering? Does every field in engineering involve math? Were you ever unsure of what you enjoyed so as to pick your major? If you have any advice for me I'd love to hear it! :) Thanks so much, Erica

Hi Erica, Nanotechnology is an interesting field because it so often involves collaborations between investigators from different backgrounds. That said, I think that most nanotechnology programs are centered in Materials Science/Engineering. To start your studies, you will need to take math, physics and chemistry. When you take these basic courses, I think that you'll find your interests will become more clear -- you may want to emphasize one discipline over the others. If the connections between the courses, and their potential applications get you going, then Materials Engineering might be just the right thing for you. Don't be worried about not knowing exactly what you want to do yet, but consider attending a college where you don't have to choose your major very early on. But do keep going in math -- it is important to all science and engineering disciplines! best wishes, Ursula Gibson

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Hi:I'm currently a double major at University at Buffalo in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (with a minor in Physics). I'm a woman (usually one of the very few in my class) and I have a learning disorder which, most of the time, makes studying and test taking very difficult without the use of special equipment. I get GREAT support from faculty, staff, and our wonderful disability department but, I often wonder if there are any working engineers (past or present) who have learning disorders (e.g. Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Autism, etc)? What experiences did they have and how did they stay motivated to succeed?This seems to be a bit of a taboo subject because everyone sees engineers as brainy and unyieldingly smart. An engineer who can't sit still long enough to read a paragraph seems to be earmarked for failure. What kind of resources or advice can you offer?Thanks in advance!

Regrettably, I can offer little direct experience, but at Dartmouth I know several engineers who prevailed despite learning disabilities. The bottom line is, if you can learn the material, at your own pace, as long as you end up understanding it, you can succeed as an engineer. Regards, Ursula

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I'm currently a freshman in high school, and I want to know what kind of classes to take for the following years. I am planning to take Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus before I graduate. Do I need to take Physics and Chemistry 2 if I wanted to be an Engineer? I'm also planning on taking the Engineering classes that my school offers,but I'm not really sure if engineering is what I want to do. I love seeing how things work, and I enjoy building and fixing things so that they work the way I want them to. Even if engineering is the right choice, I wouldn't know which career to choose.

Hi Liz,

Thank you for your question! It sounds like you are definitely on the right track with the Math, and Physics will be important, too. The current guidelines for an accredited college engineering degree include Chemistry, so taking that in high school is a great idea. As far as picking an engineering track at this point, try the classes that your high school has, and see what you like. Also - not every engineering school puts you into a career box right from the start - places like Harvey Mudd, Dartmouth's Thayer School, Olin College, Smith and others do engineering as a cross-disciplinary program, and it seems to work really well. That way you get to take college level classes before committing to a track, and usually, it serves you well in your career to know something about the other kinds of Engineering. As you get closer to graduating, you can look at different college programs to find one that works well for you.

Best wishes,
Ursula