The Appeal of MSE: Mieka Clark’s Personal Perspective

By Julia Barnes, Megan Happel, and Emma Kooistra Vredevoogd

Published on March 16, 2022.

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Mieka has always had an interest in the science of things beyond Earth. When she was young, she would watch documentaries like How the Universe Works and NOVA, which fueled her desire to be involved in space exploration efforts. However, as she grew older, that goal felt a lot less achievable.

Mieka started at Michigan Tech with a major in General Engineering, but quickly switched to Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) because of the flexibility and diversity of the major. Not only did this allow her to work with extremely supportive faculty members and students, but she was also able to encounter cool projects ranging from metal casting to biomedical implants. It did not take her long to feel at home in the department.

While driving back to campus one year, Mieka realized that her fascination with space could still be turned into a

career. Though not a traditional narrative within the MSE department, she realized that the skills she was learning could be very valuable in applications of space exploration, such as a mission to Mars. She could one day design the materials to be used in space-faring vehicles or equipment, produce different forms of energy generation and storage, characterize Martian samples, or predict interactions between Earth-made equipment and Martian planetary properties such as atmosphere, gravity, radiation levels, and more. Since that day, Mieka has been able to tailor her experience within the department to align more closely with her personal goals.

While still in school, Mieka hopes to join either the Aerospace Enterprise or the Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE) to gain more experience in space-related projects. She also wants to augment her degree with a minor in Physics, since it would likely be helpful to her as she pursues a career in space exploration in the near future. Ultimately, Mieka hopes to be involved in missions to Mars, where she can finally make her childhood dreams a reality.

Mieka’s story is just one of many at Michigan Tech. Students come to the university with a wide variety of interests and passions, but only a few realize that the Materials Science and Engineering department is a great place to start pursuing them. Everything is made out of something, so understanding material properties and how to manipulate them can jumpstart a career in almost any field.

If you are interested in learning more about what the MSE department has to offer, please reach out to Daniel Seguin (djseguin@mtu.edu) or visit www.mtu.edu/materials/.