Alexandra Bishop '12

Alexandra Bishop grew up in a small town in Florida. She always knew she wanted to go to a prestigious school far away from home. She liked chemistry and calculus in high school but only learned about Chemical Engineering through Professor Duncan's intro class. She loved her four years at Cornell and in the Chemical Engineering department. Alex now works at Kraft Foods, lives in Manhattan, and does musical theatre on the side.

"I remember every morning in Professor Center's Process Control Strategies class he would have a question or a problem written on the board when we came in. It would be a practical question that should only take 5 minutes or less to work out. It would be something like ‘what pressure would this tank need to be kept at’ or ‘what power would be required for this pump’. This was very different from my other classes because normally I would need to pull out a textbook or notes to answer something and it would take me awhile. This method of getting you thinking first thing in the morning was incredibly useful for me. Every day at work I have to think about something quickly and estimate an answer because I don't always have time to work it out. This taught me that having an overall understanding can sometimes be better than a detailed understanding.

My chemical engineering training taught me how to work hard, redefine problems, believe in myself, and work incredibly well in teams. No two professors in Olin Hall had the same method of teaching or background. I was able to get different perspectives on ChemE and and life every semester. I think what makes this program shine is the dedication from the faculty and the practical aspect of many of the courses. The ChemE department really felt like a family and fully prepared me for the working world."