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Meghan Vellotti ’08 has received a Steinman Fellowship from the National Society of Professional Engineers, which she will use to obtain a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
The $10,000 grant is awarded to engineering students who have distinguished themselves at the undergraduate level and plan to pursue a graduate degree in engineering. Vellotti, who graduated in May with a degree in mechanical engineering, hopes to become a professor after receiving her Ph.D.
Vellotti took advantage of many opportunities at Lafayette for undergraduate research and close student-faculty interaction.
She applied mechanical engineering principles to biological problems in her honors thesis. Her work, which was guided by Joshua Smith, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, focused on how the infusion of a drug affects spinal cord flow. She also spent a semester in Brussels, Belgium, studying engineering, art history, languages, and culture in a program headed by Scott Hummel, associate professor of mechanical engineering.
“There were great opportunities both in and out of the classroom, including my honors thesis, which gave me a head start in the research aspect,” says Vellotti. “I loved the close interaction among professors and students and was able to learn so much from my peers, professors, and faculty advisor. Lafayette provided a family environment for people to help each other out.”
A Trustee Scholar, Vellotti was a member of the Pep Band, College Choir, and also served a summer internship in the research and development department of Johnson & Johnson Ethicon, a medical instrument company.