Fellow:Christopher Jones

James_Madison_University_Student_Priorities

I’m Christopher Jones, currently a Junior engineering Major at James Madison University. I have four minors: Geographic Science, Mathematics, Physics for Engineers, and African, African American and Diaspora Studies (AAADS). I am also involved in a number of extra curriculars such as Engineering Ambassadors (EA), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers JMU Chapter (SHPE) and Madison Welders. I also currently work three jobs on campus: Physics Learning Assistant, Math Tutor and Machine Apprentice. I have also spent the past two summers traveling to Tanzania for a study abroad as well as conducting research. Finally, I am currently working on a capstone in which we are trying to redesign latrines within Ifakara, Tanzania. This was a capstone that I proposed after my second trip to Tanzania in which I got to interact with the community and stakeholders that my project is focused on. 

Growing up I was always interested in how things work. I loved taking apart machines and trying to put them back together. Lego’s were my go to material to tinker with. I also learned that I loved to travel when I was young. I lived away from home when I was 10 years old, living in Barcelona, Spain with my best friends’ family. After living abroad, I knew that whatever career I went into I wanted to ensure that it would be one in which I could travel and experience the world. 

Joining UIF allowed me to act on ideas that I have had for a while. I always knew I wanted to make a difference on my campus, especially within the engineering department. Furthermore, I wanted to address a growing concern in engineering education which is Global Competency. Being a part of UIF has given me skills and connections to make my ideas come to fruition. I am so excited to see what change myself and my cohort can make within this year as well as the rest of our time at JMU.