The Story Collider Presents: Stories from Utah State University

The Story Collider is excited to be partnering with Utah State University to share true, personal stories about science from their engineering students.

Hosted by Bryan Kett and Kellie Vinal.

Doors at 6 pm. Show starts at 6:30 pm.

This show will also be live-streamed.

Stories by:

I’m Senorita Sarker, a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at Utah State University. I’m originally from Bangladesh, and coming to the U.S. for graduate school was a much bigger adjustment than I expected. I came here excited to start a new chapter, but I quickly learned that getting accepted was only the beginning. I had to figure out a new country, a new academic environment, a new field, and, honestly, how to feel like I belonged. A lot of my story is about learning to be patient with myself when things didn’t happen as quickly as I wanted.

Outside of school and research, I’m someone who stays very connected to my family and the friends. They’ve been a big part of helping me through the difficult days and reminding me who I am outside of being a PhD student.

I’m sharing this story because I think a lot of us have moments when we wonder, “Am I taking too long?” I’ve learned that sometimes, you just need to give yourself time to see how far you’ve actually come.

Ankit Gautam is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Utah State University. His research focuses on fluid dynamics, experimental and computational techniques, and energy technologies. Before joining Utah State University, he worked as a mechanical design engineer and energy consultant. In his free time, he enjoys reading and cooking.