Samantha Kipper, of Huntington Beach, California, graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering and minor in sustainability before heading off to pursue graduate studies.
“I was enticed by the friendly faculty, course content, and research focus of URI,” said Kipper on making the trek across the country for her education. “I knew from the start that I wanted to jump into research, starting the beginning of my sophomore year in a mechanical engineering lab with Dr. Lin and then transitioning to an ocean and civil engineering lab later on with Drs. Baxter and Bradshaw.”

She completed a 10-week internship with her dream company, Orsted, and got to go offshore on a wind farm as an undergraduate. Visiting the Block Island Wind Farm and entering one of its turbines was an unforgettable experience.

She also took part in the Women in Engineering mentorship program and helped mentor incoming engineers. Outside of academics, she loves to skate, draw, and make ceramics.

She will head back to California following graduation and continue sustainability research in civil engineering. “I was excited to apply to graduate schools and get accepted to Stanford for a Ph.D.” said Kipper. “URI was a university where I could truly come into my own as a student and as a person as well.”