Annie Ruckman ’20 found a home within the Department of Physics at Coe College before even stepping foot on campus as a first-year student — she was invited during a prospective student visit day to join a research project.
Coe is well-equipped to bring students into research quickly as one of a select few colleges in the nation to host the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program every summer and with more than $3 million in scientific research equipment on campus.
The research opportunities at Coe lead Kohawks to incredible accomplishments. For the last 30 years 100% of physics majors accepted into graduate school have received full-ride scholarships and fellowships to pursue their graduate degree. Like countless Kohawks before Annie, her experiences in the lab led to a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation.
After graduating with degrees in physics and Spanish, Annie worked as a software consultant before enrolling in the civil engineering, construction, energy and sustainable infrastructure graduate program at the University of Washington, where she is a Due Diligence Analyst and Fellow with the Clean Energy Institute.
“I want to make clean energy and green technologies more accessible. I am currently researching energy consumption across demographics, analyzing power demand and creating AI/ML algorithms for smart grids/smart homes. I am identifying inequities in energy delivery and automated systems,” she said.
During her time at Coe, Annie developed an interest in renewable energy. Associate Professor of Physics Ugur Akgun and Assistant Professor of Physics Caio Bragatto developed independent study courses for Annie to support her research on renewable energy and lithium ionic conductivity. She published her work, attended conferences across the country, wrote grants and interned with the U.S. Department of Energy.
“Coe physics immediately introduced me to professional research, and provided me with student mentors as well as access to faculty. I spent the summer after my first year at Coe with Ugur, researching glasses and energy deposition for cancer dosimetry. It was my first immersive research experience, and it showed me the possibilities of what can be achieved when we continue to ask questions,” she said.
Annie also completed the National Energy Technology Lab Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship after her sophomore year at Coe. This allowed her to work with the Carbon Capture Team at a national lab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on carbon sequestration from coal-fired power plants. She credits this as another formative experience that defined her interest in clean energy.
When Annie wasn’t working in the lab, she was taking customized Spanish courses and exploring leadership opportunities with clubs on campus.
“The Spanish Department prioritized class offerings like Spanish for health care and business Spanish based on my interests to make sure they were available for me before graduation. The diverse course offerings were always exciting and truly represented the liberal arts experience. The intersection of language with subjects including science, math and business show the applications of language learning across disciplines,” Annie said.
She worked with Associate Professor of Spanish Mónica Fuertes-Arboix and Assistant Professor of Spanish Laissa Rodriguez Moreno to found Coespañol, a Spanish language club, and Sigma Delta Pi, a hispanic national honor society. She also served as the outreach coordinator and president of Women in STEM, which set her on her path to found G5: Girls Are the 5th FUNdamental Force, a youth STEM mentorship program in Cedar Rapids.
“I worked to expand professional connections, created community engagement projects and programs, and wrote grants for Women in STEM. Firdevs Duru [assistant professor of physics and advisor of Women in STEM] supported us in our goals of increasing campus diversity and advocating for equity in the field. The leadership and service opportunities were abundant and are always a reminder that we need to bring the next generation up with us,” she said.
As Annie continues to strengthen research on equitable energy systems and study civil engineering, she will not forget her experiences at Coe.
“Coe helped me grow as a writer, scientist, researcher and linguist. They not only give you the space to explore your interests but help you do so with excitement,” she added.
Interested in the opportunities you’ll find at Coe? Schedule a visit to meet with an admission counselor and faculty at www.coe.edu/visit.
Original source can be found here.
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