Changes

<span style="font-size:medium;">Once a UIF, Hristina surrounded herself with faculty and administrators who shared her passion for intersectionality of engineering and the liberal arts. Professor Ronald Bucinell (Mechanical Engineering), who would later become her senior thesis advisor, played a crucial project ideation role, as did Frances Maloy (Director of Schaffer Library) and Professor Erika Nelson (German Studies). Dean of First Year Students Kate Schurick helped Hristina commit to the #UIFresh initiative to integrate the UIF experience into the first year orientation activities, co-signing a letter of intent to former President Obama. Hristina is forever grateful to Humera Fasihuddin and Leticia Britos Cavagnaro for their continued help and celebration of success; from the very first UIF assignments, through grad school reference letters, and into present-day openness to collaboration.</span>

<span style="font-size:medium;">Hristina is now a 4th year Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She focuses on thinking and creativity behind engineering design, and works for&nbsp;[http://impact1.usc.edu/ USC Impact Lab]</span><span style="font-size: medium;">. Her doctoral studies began the same year her bachelor’s degree was obtained. Hristina is an innovation and tech entrepreneurship enthusiast who, aside from design, likes to dwell in domains of user experience and fluid dynamics. At 26, she is the youngest Ph.D. candidate in her class year, speaks 5 languages and has lived in 3 different countries. Her demeanor is people-oriented, user- and team-centric, energetic, and positive reinforcement driven.</span>