An Artful Engineering Education
Junior Hannah Sheldon 鈥19 (electrical engineering) has always been crazy about the arts: singing, photography, drawing, painting, stippling (鈥淚 could stipple the night away!,鈥 she states). But she also loves the flexibility an electrical engineering education affords. 鈥淚 can jump into a lot of things from EE, but I really wanted to bring the creative aspect into my engineering study.鈥 Product design is where she eventually sees herself, so she is pursuing a studio art minor in addition to her engineering coursework.
Breaking the stereotype of a single-minded engineer, Sheldon makes art that is thoughtful and provocative. One piece uses seven different maps to explore the state of decay or growth in Oakland, California, over a 200-year period. Another looks at states of mind through the lens of Tim Burton鈥檚 Alice in Wonderland characters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a study in the insanity we all feel but most of us have a handle on. The White Rabbit represents anxiety; the Cheshire Cat, depression or sadness; the Red Queen, anger, and the Mad Hatter depicts general insanity,鈥 she said.
鈥淢y whole life is addicted to the arts; I love the arts so much,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I also really like science and I really like making things. Engineering is a place where they can all come together.鈥
Hannah Sheldon '19 at work on one of her many art projects. Photo: Heidi Williams