Catherine Wraback

CWIT Scholar, C18
Major: Chemical Engineering
Track: Traditional Track
Expected Graduation: 2023

I love Chemical Engineering at UMBC because of the amazing faculty members that care about me as a person outside of their class! ChemE is such an amazing, tight-knit community of inquiring minds with faculty that promote curiosity, while constantly challenging their students to think outside of the box! Recently, I completed an internship at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences where I worked on developing an algorithm to touch-up and fix aerosol-jet printed micro-electronic components. This was truly an enriching experience where I got to further develop my computational skills, while performing hands-on material science focused research in the lab. On campus, I am involved in Undergraduate Research in the ATOMS (AI and Theory Oriented Molecular Science) Lab, I am a teaching assistant in the Chemical Engineering Department, I am the service chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and I am heavily involved in CWIT’s outreach initiatives! I love being able to volunteer within CWIT because it allows me to give back to the community and inspire the next generation of women in engineering and technology. If I am not studying, volunteering, or hanging out with my fellow ChemEs or CWIT cohort, you’ll probably find me playing tennis, running around the circle, or doing some yoga! There are loads of opportunities in CWIT and on-campus and I’m happy to call UMBC my home away from home! Go Retrievers 🙂

Other Facts

Past/Current Research

Upcoming: ExxonMobil Manufacturing Research Engineering Internship

Past/Current Internships

  • NSA (through LPS) – On Demand touch-up and inspection of aerosol jet printed parts providing an automated approach to material fabrication fixes in micro-electronic circuits
  • ATOMS Lab – Development of artificial intelligence for mathematical proofs of chemical theory
  • ATOMS Lab – Bayesian parameter estimation and development of machine learning algorithms to prove single-layer adsorption of zeolites materials modeled by Langmuir adsorption kinetics
  • ARL – 1D Model of Electron and Injected Cation Behavior in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Artificial Muscles
  • ARL – Synthesis and Characterization of Conductive Polymers for Chemically Powered Artificial Muscles

Campus Involvement

  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
  • Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honor Society
  • UMBC Women’s Ultimate Frisbee
  • Undergraduate Research

Future Plans

Either graduate school for a PhD or potentially industry, depends on how I feel after my internship this summer with Exxon.

What is your favorite part about CWIT?
The community! Everyone is so nice! You run into someone you haven’t seen in a while and all of a sudden you are in a 30 minute catch up conversation with them. I love the close knit community and support system that CWIT provides to their students. I love that as soon as I need advice or a sounding board that someone is their to offer their perspective or listen to me vent – depending on which ever I need.