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Outstanding Juniors

Each year the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers acknowledges the accomplishments of Boise State College of Engineering students by selecting the top two juniors from Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Engineering PLUS, Materials Science & Engineering, and Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering.

2024-25 Outstanding Junior Engineers

  • Ali Russell Outstanding CE Junior graphic 2024-25

    Ali Russell

    Civil Engineering

    Dual Major: Business Administration

    Minor: Entrepreneurship

    Experience: Bronco Athletic Association Intern, customer service specializing in event management and teamwork.

    Activities: Boise State Student Philanthropy Board founding board member and ASCE Timber-Strong Team President.

    Hobbies: Being creative and staying active, running a small photography business, cooking, quilting, running, skiing, and yoga.

    Post-Grad Plans: Excited to pursue a career in structural engineering while obtaining my PE. Long-term I would like to start my own business in home development to combine my engineering and entrepreneurial goals.

    Meridian, ID

    Dual Major: Business Administration

    Minor: Entrepreneurship

    Experience: Bronco Athletic Association Intern, customer service specializing in event management and teamwork.

    Activities: Boise State Student Philanthropy Board founding board member and ASCE Timber-Strong Team President.

    Hobbies: Being creative and staying active, running a small photography business, cooking, quilting, running, skiing, and yoga.

    Post-Grad Plans: Excited to pursue a career in structural engineering while obtaining my PE. Long-term I would like to start my own business in home development to combine my engineering and entrepreneurial goals.

  • Caleb Shepherd Outstanding CE Junior graphic 2024-25

    Caleb Shepherd

    Civil Engineering

    Experience: Structural Engineering Intern with Power Engineers.

    Hobbies: Snowboarding, Legos, paddleboarding, and football.

    Post-Grad Plans: Gain indsutry and career experience within the next 4 years while completing my PE, then maybe return to complete a master’s degree. Join engineering societies to keep up with sustainable engineering news and practices.

    Twin Falls, ID

    Experience: Structural Engineering Intern with Power Engineers.

    Hobbies: Snowboarding, Legos, paddleboarding, and football.

    Post-Grad Plans: Gain indsutry and career experience within the next 4 years while completing my PE, then maybe return to complete a master’s degree. Join engineering societies to keep up with sustainable engineering news and practices.

  • Jonathan Ambriz Outstanding ECE Junior graphic 2024-25

    Jonathan Ambriz

    Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Restaurant work including Flying Pie Pizza, Math Tutor for Athletics, Teaching Assistant for Digital Systems lab, and Power Engineers summer internship.

    Activities: CHIP Ambassador for the Institute of Microelectronics Education and Research (MER), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), ECE Outreach, and the Neuromorphic Devices and Systems Lab.

    Hobbies: Soccer, Transformers, and serving as a youth leader at my church.

    Post-Grad Plans: Obtain my Masters in Electrical Engineering while teaching at a high-needs school district, ultimately I’d like to pursue my PhD and become a professor.

    Kuna, Idaho

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Restaurant work including Flying Pie Pizza, Math Tutor for Athletics, Teaching Assistant for Digital Systems lab, and Power Engineers summer internship.

    Activities: CHIP Ambassador for the Institute of Microelectronics Education and Research (MER), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), ECE Outreach, and the Neuromorphic Devices and Systems Lab.

    Hobbies: Soccer, Transformers, and serving as a youth leader at my church.

    Post-Grad Plans: Obtain my Masters in Electrical Engineering while teaching at a high-needs school district, ultimately I’d like to pursue my PhD and become a professor.

  • Daniel Titus Outstanding ECE Junior graphic 2024-25

    Daniel Titus

    Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Experience: Fencer for a small company, Scentsy assembly line, and Spanish-speaking mission.

    Activities: IEEE at Boise State and Financial Officer of Latter Day Saints Student Association.

    Hobbies: Audiobooks, hiking, social dance, and learning to play the guitar.

    Post-Grad Plans: Plan to earn my Master’s degree while seeking internships before graduation with interests in the power or semiconductor industry.

    Nampa, Idaho

    Experience: Fencer for a small company, Scentsy assembly line, and Spanish-speaking mission.

    Activities: IEEE at Boise State and Financial Officer of Latter Day Saints Student Association.

    Hobbies: Audiobooks, hiking, social dance, and learning to play the guitar.

    Post-Grad Plans: Plan to earn my Master’s degree while seeking internships before graduation with interests in the power or semiconductor industry.

  • Suemy Batista Outstanding MSE Junior graphic 2024-25

    Suemy Batista

    Materials Science & Engineering

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Undergraduate Researcher, Surface Science Lab (SSL); Idaho Conference Undergraduate Research presentation on Tunable Biomedical Device Degradation.

    Activities: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Club de Ciencia en Espanol.

    Hobbies: Reading, painting, traveling, listening to music, and movies.

    Post-Grad Plans: Accelerated Masters in Materials Science and Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

    Panama City, Panama

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Undergraduate Researcher, Surface Science Lab (SSL); Idaho Conference Undergraduate Research presentation on Tunable Biomedical Device Degradation.

    Activities: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Club de Ciencia en Espanol.

    Hobbies: Reading, painting, traveling, listening to music, and movies.

    Post-Grad Plans: Accelerated Masters in Materials Science and Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

  • Elle Cotton Outstanding EPLUS Junior graphic 2024-25

    Elle Cotton

    Engineering PLUS

    Minor: Environmental Studies

    Experience: Volunteer with Ada County Juvenile Detention, volunteer with Edgewood Spring Creek Assisted Living, and volleyball summer camp coach at Boise State.

    Activities: Boise State Women’s Volleyball Student-Athlete, Student Athletic Advisory Committee.

    Hobbies: Skiing, camping, and hiking.

    Post Grad Plans: Interested in working in the field of Sustainable Product Development.

    Elk River, MN

    Minor: Environmental Studies

    Experience: Volunteer with Ada County Juvenile Detention, volunteer with Edgewood Spring Creek Assisted Living, and volleyball summer camp coach at Boise State.

    Activities: Boise State Women’s Volleyball Student-Athlete, Student Athletic Advisory Committee.

    Hobbies: Skiing, camping, and hiking.

    Post Grad Plans: Interested in working in the field of Sustainable Product Development.

  • Charlie Strohm Outstanding EPLUS Junior graphic 2024-25

    Charlie Strohm

    Engineering PLUS

    Minor: Business

    Experience: Food service industry.

    Hobbies: Wakeboarding, movies, and working out.

    Post-Grad Plans: Interested in the manufacturing or design-related industries.

    Loomis, CA

    Minor: Business

    Experience: Food service industry.

    Hobbies: Wakeboarding, movies, and working out.

    Post-Grad Plans: Interested in the manufacturing or design-related industries.

  • Maddie Jackson Outstanding ME Junior graphic 2024-25

    Maddie Jackson

    Mechanical Engineering

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Undergraduate Researcher, Smart Materials and Systems Lab; summer research on Dr. Otanicar’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies grant.

    Activities: Bender Autonomous Robotic Systems Vertically Integrated Project, COEN Senator for ASBSU, Rocketry Club, and the Nuclear Energy Club.

    Hobbies: Beekeeping, reading, hiking, and plant enthusiast.

    Post-Grad Plans: Accelerated Masters Program with a focus on digital image correlation systems, long-term goal to work in the energy field focused on solar or nuclear energy.

    LaVerne, CA

    Minor: Applied Mathematics

    Experience: Undergraduate Researcher, Smart Materials and Systems Lab; summer research on Dr. Otanicar’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies grant.

    Activities: Bender Autonomous Robotic Systems Vertically Integrated Project, COEN Senator for ASBSU, Rocketry Club, and the Nuclear Energy Club.

    Hobbies: Beekeeping, reading, hiking, and plant enthusiast.

    Post-Grad Plans: Accelerated Masters Program with a focus on digital image correlation systems, long-term goal to work in the energy field focused on solar or nuclear energy.

  • Iz Varland Outstanding ME Junior graphic 2024-25

    Iz Varland

    Mechanical Engineering

    Experience: Aeromechanics Intern at NASA Ames, Engineering Innovation Studio Supervisor.

    Activities: Engineering Innovation Studio manager, Boise State Micro-g co-team lead, Autonomous Robotic Systems, Aerospace Club, and Bronco Drifters.

    Hobbies: Building robots, building small-scale vehicles, and game design.

    Post-Grad Plans: Working as a mechanical engineer, preferably in automation or robotics after attending graduate school.

    Burlingame, CA

    Experience: Aeromechanics Intern at NASA Ames, Engineering Innovation Studio Supervisor.

    Activities: Engineering Innovation Studio manager, Boise State Micro-g co-team lead, Autonomous Robotic Systems, Aerospace Club, and Bronco Drifters.

    Hobbies: Building robots, building small-scale vehicles, and game design.

    Post-Grad Plans: Working as a mechanical engineer, preferably in automation or robotics after attending graduate school.