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Phil Wingert (Bethlehem, Pa.) will enter a doctoral program in chemical engineering at Notre Dame next fall, having graduated Lafayette with degrees in chemical engineering and English.
“My advisor, Dr. Joseph Martin, never once doubted my intentions to complete two degrees,” he says, “and his guidance and friendship very much helped me stay motivated to be not just the best engineer I could be, but the best student and person.”
“Without Professor (James) Woolley to take me on as an EXCEL student, I think I would have lost my drive to complete my English curriculum amidst my tough engineering coursework over junior and senior year,” he adds. “He reminded me that there is a science in editing poetry that is as exciting to learn as any engineering problem.”
While Wingert also credits chemical engineering professors with preparing him for pursuit of a doctorate, his study abroad in Europe was a major highlight of his Lafayette Experience. “I never thought I’d have time to complete two relatively unrelated major programs in four years and also have time to spend five months in a foreign country,” he says.
Wingert transformed anecdotes from that trip into a “creative non-fiction” honors thesis, taking one step closer to his goal of writing a novel, he says.
“Any place where dreams can be reached for and accomplished is a wonderful place to be a part of, and I am thrilled to have found that here at Lafayette.”