Hometown: South Bend, Indiana

Current year: Senior

Why I chose Purdue Civil Engineering

I honestly wasn’t sure what type of engineering I would pursue until halfway into my first semester. I knew I wanted to earn a degree in engineering and I knew Purdue University was one of the best places to get an engineering education, but it wasn’t until I took a few classes that I got a better understanding of what civil engineering was all about.

The intro classes to civil engineering and the professors I had really helped cement my decision. Anything you see or do and anywhere you go is impacted by civil engineering — and that really appealed to me.

Emphasis area

My emphasis area is in Environmental Engineering. I’m very interested studying and preserving our world, and — through the Environmental emphasis area — I have gained an incredible amount of experience and insight what can be done to make a lasting impact.

Jack is set to graduate this summer. He then plans to attend graduate school and earn his Master's in Economics.

Learning from experts

I think one of the most valuable aspects about the Lyles School of Civil Engineering is that our professors are all interested and focused on real-world applications. They’re involved in impactful research and/or they’ve been involved in the professional civil engineering world. They bring that experience with them into the classroom to create a far more valuable learning experience for us students.

After I graduate

Once I earn my civil engineering degree, I plan to go to graduate school for Economics. The two fields may seem very different but they actually come together very well. Civil engineering is the physical foundation of society and economics is the less visible component of how societies are built. With these degrees, I want to be involved in economic models for natural resource planning and regulation.

Jack says he chose civil engineering because of its wide reach and impact it has on the world.