Rutgers Engineering Ambassadors
Book a Meeting with an Ambassador
Admitted students can schedule a 30-minute virtual meeting with an ambassador to learn more about everything the School of Engineering offers. Engineering ambassadors have a lot of information to share from how they chose their major, the student organizations they joined, time management and the pressures of college, making friends, and experiencing all that Rutgers has to offer.
View ambassador profiles below and schedule an online meeting at your convenience.
Accordion Content
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Parker Laborde
Hi! My name is Parker Laborde, and I am a junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Astronomy, echoing a long interest in space exploration and the universe. At Rutgers, I have participated in research with Prof Mazzeo in his plasma generation and aerospace vibration labs. My extracurricular experiences are diverse — Honors College, Theta Tau, Rocket Propulsion Lab, intramural football and soccer, working out (I can do a split), participating in pageants and the Rutgers University Dance Marathon! Oh, and I was on an episode of Jimmy Fallon.
Melanie Renjifo SaaHello! My name is Melanie Renjifo Saa and I am a first-generation senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Critical Intelligence Studies. As a pilot, I chose this major because I wanted to learn how the world around me moves and how to build very cool things, such as planes and rockets. I am the RU Pilots Captain and Rocket Propulsion Lab Simulations and Manufacturing Team Member for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics student organization. I play piccolo in the pep band, and am SHPEtinas co-lead for the Society of Hispanic Engineers. Outside of Rutgers, I am an educator working with children with special needs.
Sneha Shinde
Hi! My name is Sneha Shinde and I am a junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Business Administration. I also completed a Dual Enrollment program through my high school. At Rutgers, I participated in research under Professor Berg in the Space Propulsion with Advanced Chemistry and Energetics Lab and through the university's MBS Extern Exchange via Maritime Risk Symposium, as well as an internship with Hikma Pharmaceuticals. I am the Brotherhood Chair for Theta Tau, a member of the Honors College, team member of Space Technology Association at Rutgers (STAR) student organization, and a Methods of Inquiry Peer Mentor. In my free time, I enjoy watching the bed races down College Avenue (some intense decorations and crashes) and hiking the Grand Canyon — rim-to-rim, 24 miles in less than one day!
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Laila Abbassi
Hello! My name is Laila Abbassi and I am a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a Certificate in Packaging Engineering. At Rutgers, I am part of Douglass Residential College and serve as the Class of 2026 representative, secretary, and vice president of the Douglass Governing Council. I am a team member of Rutgers A4A, and Battery Team member and EGC representative for Chem-E Car, and play the mellophone for the Marching Scarlet Knights (I can play seven instruments!). I have participated in internships at AC Compacting, Picattiny Arsenal, and Nestle Health Science, and look forward to sharing my experiences at Interns Present this year.
Abdoulie JobartehHi! My name is Abdoulie Jobarteh and I am a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. At Rutgers, I am participating in Dr. Parekkadan’s research lab developing perfusion system for nanomedicine pharmacokinetics and will complete a two-phase summer internship in the Medical Research Council in The Gambia this year. My extracurricular activities including serving as vice president of the Rutgers Martial Arts Club, MMA, reading, fishing, and learning guitar. And, I can speak Swedish fluently!
Nabeeha Mamun
Hi! My name is Nabeeha Mamun and I am a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a Certificate in Packaging Engineering, pursuing the 4+1 Combined BS/MEng Degree Program. On campus, I am President of Alpha Eta Mu Beta (National BME Honor Society) and a Learning Assistant. I have interned at Regeneron and Merck, and conducted research through the Rutgers ARESTY Research Center under Prof Gebril in the Moghe Lab. I have held leadership positions for the Society of Women Engineers and the Biomedical Engineering Society, and served as a TARGET Counselor. Happy to answer any questions about navigating your time at Rutgers!
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Daniel Gonzalez
Hey! I am Daniel Gonzalez and I am a senior studying Chemical Engineering with a certificate in Packaging Engineering. At Rutgers, I am a member of the Honors College and the Honors Society for Chemical Engineers (OXE), and extremely involved with the Society of Hispanic Engineers where I serve as the external vice president. I have had internships at Infineum and L’Oréal, with my full time job being at L’Oréal. I choose to stay at Rutgers because it has given me countless opportunities to pursue my goals and has been the place I found my community of people to call this school home.
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Alyssa KatwalaHello! My name is Alyssa Katwala and I am a senior studying Chemical Engineering with a Certificate in Packaging Engineering. At Rutgers, I am president of the Society of Women Engineers, captain of the Intramural Flag Football Women’s League, and a member of Intramural Futsal League and Omega Chi Epsilon. I was keynote speaker for Young Engineers Day, received a Women’s League of Rutgers University Scholarship, and participated in internships with Global Foundries and Mars Wrigley, accepting a three-year rotational leadership program with Mars after graduation. Outside of engineering, I am the American Cancer Society survivorship chair.
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Olivia Taylor
Hi! My name is Olivia Taylor and I am a senior studying Chemical Engineering on the pre-medical track. At Rutgers, I have been actively involved on addiction neuroscience projects to investigate potential targets for recovery with the Pierce Lab at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. I am part of Honors College and Phi Sigma Sigma, participating in the Rutgers University Dance Marathon through our chapter raising money for the Embrace Kids organization to help children battling cancer and blood disorders. My past times include baking and camping.
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Matteo Balderas
Hello! My name is Matteo Balderas and I am studying Civil Engineering. I am a first-generation college student, affiliated with the Engineers of the Future program.
Aleksandra Mondrzik
Hello! My name is Aleksandra Mondrzik, and I am a junior studying Civil Engineering. Through the ARESTY Research Assistant Program, I am actively involved in microplastic research and serve as a peer instructor assisting other students. I am a member of Rutgers Honors College, and participated in an internship with Michael Baker International where I rotated through several roles learning highway, pavement, and water/drainage engineering. As a first-generation student, I chose Rutgers for its wealth of opportunities and resources as a Big Ten university.
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Sophie Abbassi
Hi! My name is Sophie Abbassi and I am a senior studying Computer Engineering. At Rutgers, I am affiliated with Douglass Residential College, serve as president of Eta Kappa Nu, and am a member of the Marching Scarlet Knights. I have completed internships with the US Army, NVIDIA, and State Street Bank - Machine Learning/Data Engineering Co-Op, presenting on my experiences twice at Interns Present. In my free time, I like to crochet and knit. Fun fact is that my twin sister, Laila Abbassi, is also a Student Ambassador!
Sanchita Agrawal
Hi! My name is Sanchita Agrawal, and I am a junior studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. At Rutgers, I am affiliated with Douglass Residential College, part of the SUPER Research Experience with Douglass working with Prof Ortiz in WINLAB and Prof Kara at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and am part of the Honors College. I serve as co-external vice president of the Rutgers Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), am the Electrical Sub-Lead for an Engineers Without Borders project, and the community service captain for EHA. I have participated in internships with The Hershey Company and Carlisle Companies.
Jenna Brual
My name is Jenna Brual and I'm a senior in Electrical Engineering with a Packaging Engineering Certificate and primary focus in health/personal care. At Rutgers, I'm the Career Fair chair and external vice president of the Society of Women Engineers, vice president of IEEE HKN Gamma Epsilon (ECE Honors Society), and service chair/choreographer of RU Association of Philippine Students. I have completed internships with Colgate-Palmolive, Titan Engineers, and Medtronic, and a Makerspace Externship with Lumiaq. I was a keynote presenter for Young Engineers Day, and participated in research in the Niu Lab. My extracurricular activities include dance/choreography, kalimba, gym, and graphic design.
Rishita Dasgupta
Hello! I’m Rishita Dasgupta, a junior majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. I am actively involved across academic, leadership, and service communities on campus. I am an Honors College Ambassador, ARESTY Research Center Peer Instructor, Society of Women Engineers Mentor, IEEE–HKN (the ECE honors society) Secretary, and Tau Beta Pi (the national engineering honors society) Treasurer. I am also Design Chair of the Mobile App Development Club and Outreach Chair for the Undergraduate Student Alliance of Computer Scientists, a grader for the Rutgers Computer Science Grading Team, and a Learning Assistant for Integrated Data-Driven Design for Engineering Applications, the introductory MATLAB course. In Summer 2025, I interned at Verizon, and I am a two-time recipient of the Richard N. Weeks Endowed Scholarship.A fun fact is that my sister and I will be graduating from Rutgers at the same time: she with her PharmD and me with my B.S.!
Ryan Muriel
Hi! My name is Ryan Muriel and I am a senior majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a Certificate in Packaging Engineering. At Rutgers, I am the Society of Hispanic Engineers secretary (it was so memorable attending the SHPE National Conference in California!), Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity alumni relations person, Raices Ecuatorianas en America treasurer, and intramural soccer midfielder. A first-generation student, I served as an Engineers of the Future counselor last summer helping guide 99 students as they prepared for their college journey. In my free time, I love playing billiards and even bought my own pool stick.
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Varshini Bomma
Hi! My name is Varshini Bomma and I’m a senior majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering and minoring in Business Administration, participating in the university's 4+1 program. On campus I’m involved with the TedxRutgers team as a logistics director. I’m also part of the first year transition team as a first year transition leader helping high school seniors. I’m the fundraising chair for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. Since freshmen year, I have been part of Society of Women Engineers as a Leaders and Learners Mentor. I chose Rutgers because I was excited to take on all the opportunities it offers!
Mauricio Ortega
Hi! My name is Mauricio Ortega and I am a first-generation senior majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering. At Rutgers, I am a Society of Hispanic Engineers member, Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers of New Jersey sub-regional student representative, and a member of the Rutgers SHE Indoor Intramural Soccer team. A memorable experience was working on a team of eight other students to co-host a career fair with over 50 companies networking with 1,000+ engineering students. I have interned at Bechtel Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive, and Unilever. My hobbies include weight lifting, running, spending time with my bulldog, Pablo, and collecting cologne.
Nathaly Alpapucho
Hi, my name is Nathaly Alpapucho. I'm a first-generation graduate student completing a 4+1. I chose Rutgers because of its proximity to home and because this school offers several research and academic resources, as well as a diverse student community. I am actively involved with the Society of Hispanic Engineers, serving on the executive board as the Community Service Chair and as the Historian. I have interned at Americold Logistics LLC, Bechtel Corporation in Kentucky, and Valcor Engineering. Outside of academics, I’ve started taking swimming lessons, something I’ve wanted to learn for some time.
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John Szumowski
Hello! My name is John Szumowski and I am a junior majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. At Rutgers, I am a Design Advisor Shadow for the Engineering Honors Academy, secretary for the Material Advantage student organization, and play the trumpet with the pep band. In addition to participating in research projects in Dr. Ashutosh Goel's Glass Science Lab, I have interned at NASA Langley Research Center, the German Aerospace Center, the Idaho National Laboratory, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Highlights of my college experience to date include visiting a steel mill and presenting on my NASA internship project at the ICACC 2026 conference in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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Madeleyn Andrade
Hi friends! My name is Madeleyn and I'm a first-generation immigrant from Ecuador studying Mechanical Engineering. I’ve interned at Honeywell as a design mechanical engineer working on valve systems for critical environments, as well as at PSEG, where I gained insight into electricity and natural gas production and distribution. At Rutgers, I served as the SHEPtina chair for the Society of Hispanic Engineers and I’m committed to give back to my community through outreach and engineering projects.
Helena Chan
Hi! My name is Helena Chan and I am a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a Certificate in Packaging Engineering. At Rutgers, I am a Society of Women Engineers external vice president committee member, and member in RU Enable, RU Solar Car, Engineers Without Borders, the swim club, and the Rutgers Climbing Club competition team. I have interned at Grotto Engineering, United Fire Systems, and Arcadis, and will be at Smurfit Westrock this summer. My interests include reading, rock climbing, hiking, and traveling, and building a five inch racing drone.
Kanika Syal
Hello! My name is Kanika Syal and I am a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace. On campus, I do research in socially cognizant robotics and intent to participate in the JJ Slade Program. I'm also currently a Mechanical lead for the Space Technology Association of Rutgers (STAR). I have previously interned at Eaton Corporation as an Aerospace Mechanical Design Intern, worked in an MSE battery lab, and as a GSET residential teaching assistant (RTA).
Sidney Vasquez
Hi! My name is Sidney Vasquez and I am a first-generation senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. At Rutgers, I am a member of the Society of Hispanic Engineers and Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Latino Student Council programming chair, and play on both the intramural soccer and volleyball teams. I served as an Engineers of the Future counselor (even though I am not an EOF student). I have interned at GlobalFoundaries the past two summers. My interests include modifying my car and spending time with family and friends.
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Nora Abdelaziz
Hi! My name is Nora Abdelaziz and I am a senior majoring in Packaging Engineering and minoring in Music. Around campus I am a member of the Packaging Engineering Club and serve as Vice President of Muggle Mayhem, which is Rutgers' official Harry Potter club. I am a section leader of the piccolos in the pep and marching bands where I have traveled to London, the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade, and other famous stadiums. Two summers ago, I interned at Sabert Corporation, doing quality testing on to-go and pulp boxes. I currently work at a printing and fulfillment company making PR boxes and influencer kits for big name brands. A fun fact is that all three of my older sisters went through Rutgers engineering!