Christina Garman '11

"I chose Bucknell because I loved everything about it. I wanted a smaller school with small classes so that I could get to know my professors personally and they could get to know me."

Dual major in computer science and engineering and mathematics, minor in physics: Webster, N.Y.

Why Bucknell?

"My parents went to Susquehanna University. When I was younger, they joked with me that Bucknell would be the perfect school for me. When I began actually looking at schools, I decided to come down and look at it. I haven't looked back since.

"I chose Bucknell because I loved everything about it. I wanted a smaller school with small classes so that I could get to know my professors personally and they could get to know me. I have not been disappointed and some great relationships have come out of this. The computer science and engineering program here was exactly the right mix of everything that I wanted. The campus is gorgeous. I loved the lacrosse team and the atmosphere here is everything that I was looking for."

My Major

"I am a computer science and engineering major with a double in mathematics and a minor in physics.

"I love the challenge of solving problems and the logic behind them has always fascinated me. I also have an interest in computer hardware. As I was looking at schools, I was torn between computer science and electrical engineering. At Bucknell, I never felt like I had to make that decision. The computer science and engineering program here has the emphasis on software but does explore some hardware. So, I have the opportunity to pursue all of my interests.

"I've always enjoyed math and, thanks to the persistence of a few amazing professors and one of my favorite classes since I got here, I realized that I wasn't ready to give up math after I had completed the minimum requirements for my computer science degree. If everything works out right, I am hoping to pick up a BS in mathematics in addition to my BS in computer science and engineering."

My Activities

"I am a Presidential Fellow and, through that program, I do research in the biomedical engineering department. Our broad theme is biomimetics, the process of mimicking nature or studying nature as an inspiration for engineering design. We are studying a variety of silks, such as spider and silkworm, in an effort to analyze their properties and reactions to various deformations. I have been handling a lot of the computer analysis, and it is really cool to see the application of my talents to other areas and departments.

"I am a member of the Society of Women Engineers and I hope to become more active in the Association for Computing Machinery. I also live, and participate, in the CHOICE program and have met a lot of my really good friends through it."

Posted March 20, 2009