Bradley Hughes
Degree:
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Major/Department:
Electrical Engineering
Research project or internship/co-op experience:
A member of Team Case working on Dexter, Case's robotic car
Extracurricular interests:
On campus, I'm in a number of student organizations. Last spring I acted as the light director for the Case Footlighter's musical production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This coming spring, I will again act as light designer/director for the Footlighter's production of Chicago. Currently, I'm living in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house--a chapter I've been a brother of since the beginning of my freshmen year. I am also currently volunteering as a engineering mentor for a local school that is entering the FIRST robotic competition. Hathaway Brown, an all girls school in Cleveland, has previously never entered the competition. We're teaching the high school students the fundamentals of electrical systems, chassis design and robotic control so that they can enter the competition this spring. Being in student organizations has made me extremely busy--but makes me a well-rounded person.
Biography:
For the past year, I was as a team member for TeamCASE, Case's 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge team. I have maintained a full time student status while doing more than twenty hours of research per week for the past three semesters. This past summer I was a SOURCE-funded student to work full time with Dr. Wyatt Newman (TeamCASE Team Leader) in the area of autonomous robotics. This fall, all of my hard work had paid off as the project culminated in a two week trip to California for the big race. Even though we didn't qualify for the final race (only 11 of 90 initial teams did--we were thought to have been in the top twenty of the field), we had a fantastic real-world engineering experience that was an absolute blast. Last spring, I was enrolled in EECS 397 for 3 credit hours of independent study with my adviser. While I was in California, I received two impromptu interviews by a couple of very serious industry employers. The two interviews have turned into possible internship opportunities.
Why did you choose to attend Case?:
When I had applied to colleges, Case was my dream school-- the one school that is a reach when you're applying. I knew there were a lot of great opportunities with undergraduate research at Case with its 9:1 student to faculty ratio and that research was something I wanted to do.
What do you like best about Case?:
Case's faculty are fantastic people--if you put effort into communication, they will do everything in their power to help you succeed toward your goals. I feel that Case offers a much more individualized experience for undergraduate engineering than a lot of other universities.
Describe the best professor you've had at Case. What made him or her special?:
I've gotten to know my adviser very well over the past year. It has been a really fantastic experience to work with Dr. Newman (EECS) and learn everything he has to offer not only as an expert in robotics, but also as a friend. Along with the rest of the team, we've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner together too many times to count. Through various department and school events, I've been able to meet, network, and talk with Case alumni and school administration members such as President Barbara Snyder and Dean Norman Tien.
What do you plan to do after graduation, and how has Case helped you reach that goal?:
After I graduate from Case with my BS in electrical engineering, I plan to get my master's in either electrical or systems engineering. There's a great chance that I'll stay at Case to enroll in the one to two year BS/MS program. After that, I'm not entirely sure what I'll do but I've often thought about continuing in the academic world to get a PhD. There's also a possibility that I will work for a few years and then continue my quest for a PhD.
