“I hope that with my work on renewables such as solar cells, I can make renewables more efficient, storable, and easily deployed in places of need. In the end, success means to me that I will have a positive impact on my community.”

Katie Watson is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a minor in Spanish. As a woman in a male-dominated STEM field, Katie’s path has come with challenges, but those challenges have only stoked her motivation to become a role model and mentor for others and to speak up when she sees injustice. She plans to become a chemical engineer who designs and implements renewable energies, especially in communities that have been impacted most negatively by fossil fuels.

At U-M, Katie is active in the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program, Out in Stem, Spanish Club, and Students for Clean Energy, where she serves as the President and, formerly, as Director of Research and Development. Additionally, she works in Dr. Andrej Lenert’s research lab, studying efficiencies of concentrated solar thermal technologies and silica aerogels. Katie has also previously engaged in research as a summer intern with the Fermi National Particle Accelerator Laboratory and completed an internship in manufacturing and process engineering this past summer at BASF.

Known for her “academic drive, focus, and commitment to learning,” Katie has been recognized as an Illinois State Scholar and a recurring member of the College of Engineering Dean’s List. In 2021, she also earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, recognizing her proficiency in writing and reading in Spanish; during her time at U-M, Katie plans to minor in the language and study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

Above all, Katie hopes to use what she learns to make a difference. Katie says, “I hope that with my work on renewables such as solar cells, I can make renewables more efficient, storable, and easily deployed in places of need. In the end, success means to me that I will have a positive impact on my community.”

CEW+ celebrates Katie’s drive to make a positive impact through chemical engineering and names her an Irma M. Wyman Scholar.