Trash to cash

"I enjoyed the topic so much that I spent part of my first winter break helping Professor Higgins in the lab."

Mona Mohammed '15, civil engineering

"My first engineering course at Bucknell was Engineering 100: Trash to Cash with Professor Higgins. He taught us about his research feeding food waste to microbes. Those microbes turn the waste into energy, heat and nutrient-filled compost.

"I enjoyed the topic so much that I spent part of my first winter break helping Professor Higgins in the lab. It's funny -- I loved it so much that I'm tempted to continue the research during the summer as well. Only problem is that my parents would not be happy at all!

"I do eventually want to go back home to Yemen, though. I plan to attend graduate school and study water management and resources. And, given the chance, I want to start a nongovernmental organization that addresses laws, norms and traditions that suppress women and hinder their productive participation for the benefit in the society. I also want to use my engineering background to help women create innovative ideas to bridge the gap between genders."

Mona is from Sana'a, Yemen