Momentum - The Magazine for Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Vol. 3 No. 1 Spring 2018 | Page 38

about alumni
Alicia Williams '05, '07, '08
What was your first recollection of coming to
Virginia Tech and the campus?
I grew up in northern Virginia, which, at
the time I was applying to colleges, was in the
process of growing explosively from the place
I had experienced as a child. I distinctly recall
arriving at the campus for a tour and seeing
how beautiful and impressive the campus was,
and how pleasant everyone I met was. The
campus truly had a community feel to it and I
could see right away how I would fit right in.
Was there a single professor or other mentor
who helped guide you or shape your time at VT,
or who had a great influence on your career after
graduation?
Professor Wing Ng had a significant impact
on me as an undergraduate. I came into his
fluids course as a junior with a lot of interest
in pursuing the thermofluids field for my
career, and as a result, not anticipating the
level of challenge in the class. Doctor Ng was
one of the toughest professors I had as an
undergraduate, though he was always very fair
and made the class a fun environment with his
jokes. His high expectations had a significant
influence on helping me internalize those
expectations on myself, independent on what
was expected in a course. That has not only
served me well in subsequent graduate school,
but in my career as well.
As a student, what activities did you enjoy the
most and does that activity still exist at the univer-
sity today?
I was avidly involved
in the Virginia Tech Tae
Kwon Do club my sopho-
more through senior years,
which is still an active club
at Virginia Tech.
What is your proudest
academic or professional
achievement?
I would have to answer
getting to work at Lawrence
Livermore National Labora-
tory. I am humbled to work
among such smart, capable
people on technical projects
in support of our national
security.
What do you think has been the single greatest
change to the university since you graduated?
My family lives in the Christiansburg area
nowadays, so I am back for a visit periodically.
I have mostly noticed that Blacksburg has
become more modernized and grown up since
the time that I was a student. For example,
the apartments that I lived in on Meadow
Drive as an undergraduate and graduate have
been knocked down and replaced with new
buildings.
What advice would you give to undergraduate
mechanical engineers?
Take on challenges, both inside and out-
side the classroom. Don’t be afraid to try
something that looks too difficult, you might
surprise yourself.
MOMENTUM
SPRING 2018
PAGE 38