This week our department would like to spotlight fourth year ABE undergraduate student, Victoria Garcia. Originally from Lemont, Illinois, Victoria was attracted to majoring in ABE because of the amazing possibilities for growth and success during her studies and after graduation. Victoria shared, “ABE offers so many opportunities to learn about new and interesting things, and also a surplus of job opportunities after college! Nature, the environment, and technology are ever-changing and pave way to continue working on new and important projects in school and the future.”

During her time at the University, Victoria has been able to study abroad, gain research experience, and intern at Rochelle Foods, LLC – a division of Hormel Foods. She travelled to San Juan for the Puerto Rico Disaster Resiliency study abroad program led by ABE faculty member, Dr. Luis Rodriguez. When asked about her experience, Victoria said, “It was only 10 days in the San Juan and surrounding areas, but these 10 days made memories and experiences that would transcend lifetimes. The people I got to meet and the students who became my study abroad family made all the difference in living life out of our normal environment all the more memorable and exciting.”

During her research experience, she worked with Professor Bayram in the ICORLAB group for next generation semiconductors. Throughout her experience, she learned about diamond energy and LED efficiency. However, one of her strong takeaways was, “passion of research you care about.”

The summer before her senior year, Victoria worked for Rochelle Foods, LLC under the supervision of Nelly Hermisillo. Through her intern experience she learned from Nelly and other supervisors about, “leading a team, working across multiple platforms and with people all across the company, along with the importance of safety for workers consumers, and the food produced for those all around the world.”

Victoria is in her final year of her undergraduate studies. She is the recipient of the 2022 Helen R. and Richard C. Coddington International Experience Scholarship and the 2022 C.E. Goering Independent Research Excellence Award.