Major:

Mechanical Engineering

Since she was very young, Katie Murphy has loved to build things. When a perceptive science teacher told her to look into engineering after a successful sixth-grade bridge-building project, Katie followed that road all the way to Olin. Along the way, she took summer courses at Carnegie Mellon's West Coast campus working on autonomous robots, where her enthusiasm and skill led to an invitation to work at the NASA AMES center. However, Katie was also an avid athlete, placing in the top three at the water polo Junior Olympics with her team during high school.

In her own words, “I came to Olin because of their hands-on teaching technique. I learn best by getting my hands dirty in my projects, and no other engineering school starts you out at the level that Olin does.”

Katie also has word for prospective students, saying that “if you are at all interested in engineering, and are a team player, then Olin is the place for you.” The friendliness of the community and the opportunities available made Olin an irresistible opportunity for this dynamic student.

Katie is already beginning to leave her mark on Olin. In addition to her classes, Katie is starting a club to relieve student frustrations with computer-aided design programs and also plans to join multiple sports to stay active. She also plans to join several robotics teams, and will pursue that interest through to a Mechanical Engineering degree, and perhaps a business degree and her own company in the future.