Get to Know: Will Schutz

Each year, departments in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Wyoming nominate their top graduating senior for the Wyoming Engineering Society Student Engineer of the Year honor. The WES Scholarships and Awards Committee will review written nomination forms and interview each candidate to select the Student Engineer of the Year.

Name: Will Schutz
Hometown: Rapid City, S.D.
Major: Energy Systems Engineering

Why did you choose UW for your education? I chose UW for my educational path because it offered a degree that suited my specific interests, Energy Systems Engineering, and it was able to provide an education that I could feel proud of without extreme debt after school. The Laramie community and surrounding area was an ideal atmosphere for my college experience. The town and people are wholesome, and the surrounding terrain in Vedauwoo and Medicine Bow is breathtaking.

Why did you want to study engineering? Energy Systems Engineering was the field that I wanted to make the biggest impact. Working to improve energy production efficiencies so that energy prices go down, as well as pollution, was a career path that I knew I could be proud of and interested in my whole life.

What sets UW engineering apart? My UW educational experience has stood out due to the people that I have met and the opportunities that have come from faculty recommendation. I have enjoyed intramurals, outdoor recreation such as hiking and mountain biking, and being able to apply my education so far to biomaterials research at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities? I am the Secretary of Spikeball Club at UW and a member of Tau Beta Pi.

What are your post-graduation plans? My plans for after graduation are undecided. Currently, I plan to go into industry for energy utility, but ultimately I hope to do research on photovoltaics or fuel cells. I also have seriously considered graduate school for biomedical engineering.

What are some of your thoughts on being the department nominee for such a prestigious honor? It was incredibly humbling to be nominated by faculty for this honor. I feel so lucky to have a passion for my studies and to be recognized by my professors.