Lauren Lippman has one bit of advice for her fellow engineering students at Oregon State University: Make sure you love what you do.
“I’m very fortunate in that I truly enjoy everything that I’m doing here,” said the 19-year-old chemical engineering major and Honors College student, originally from Phoenix, Arizona.
Just halfway through her second year on campus, “everything” is an accurate description for what she’s done. In addition to keeping up with a rigorous academic program, she works in a research lab on campus, serves in the College of Engineering Ambassadors program, mentors other engineering students, is an active member in several student clubs, and was on this year’s Homecoming Court.
After her first year on campus, Lippman was selected to participate in the Johnson Internship program, which provides research and mentoring opportunities for students early in their undergraduate careers. Lippman spent that summer with Tala Navab-Daneshmand, assistant professor of environmental engineering, studying the fate of enteric pathogens in waste streams. She has continued working with Navab during her sophomore year.
“Lauren is very passionate about her work, pays attention to details and loves learning,” Navab said. “She brings a lot of positive energy with her wherever she goes.”
In 2018, Lippman received the Freshman Recognition Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE). The award is granted to the student who has been the most active in their student chapter during their first year. Lippman was part of the ChemE Car team that placed second in the AIChE regional competition and went to nationals in Pittsburgh last fall.
During her sophomore year, Lippman has led the SWEsters, a mentoring program on campus offered by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). For her work mentoring first-year women in engineering, SWE honored her with the Karena Dokken Mentor Award, and she will be leading the SWEsters again next year.
Lippman is also active with Inventors Enterprise, a student organization that promotes entrepreneurship and social responsibility. She was part of a team working to develop user-friendly technology to detect heavy metals in drinking water. They competed at the 2018 InventOR Collegiate Challenge and won a $2,500 prize to further develop their project and compete at the next level.
Lippman says she’s passionate about environmental issues and sees herself someday working in industry to advance clean water technology.
“Growing up next to a big river, watching its levels rise and fall over time, you can’t help but be aware of just what a vital resource water is,” Lippman said. “So much depends on it.”
But for the next two years, Lippman is focused on being a student — and getting the most out of what that experience has to offer.
