Sophia Pedersen

Sophia Pedersen comes from a Sun Devil family. Her mother, father and brother all graduated from Arizona State University. When it was time for Pedersen to select a college to attend, she chose to follow in her family’s footsteps and attend ASU.

She majored in mechanical engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU due to the major’s broad applicability. Long interested in renewable energy, Pedersen embraced the major’s energy and environment track to hone her skills in the area.

She credits joining the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, or GCSP, with helping her become more well-rounded. Grand Challenges Scholars aim to tackle one of the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering from the National Academy of Engineering while focusing on one of five themes, from which Pedersen selected sustainability.

“Being a part of GCSP pushed me to take courses I wouldn’t have normally taken and gain a more interdisciplinary perspective,” she says. “The program is how I learned about the National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students program offered through ASU. I applied and was accepted, allowing me to spend 10 weeks in Kyoto, Japan, researching bio-based plastics during the summer of 2023.”

In addition to her study abroad experience, Pedersen helped communities beyond herself through the ASU chapter of Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS. She was part of a team that designed machinery for plastic recycling in a region of Ethiopia where disposable water bottles caused substantial litter and pollution problems.

She gave back to others even further as a counselor at E2, the welcome experience for first-year Fulton Schools students where they meet peers and learn about engineering and life as a college student, and spent five semesters as a teaching assistant in MAE 241 Introduction to Thermodynamics.

Pedersen says student organizations were also an important part of her college experience, including the Swim Club at ASU and the Society of Women Engineers ASU chapter.

“After joining the Society of Women Engineers as a first-year student, I was able to create a network to support me not only academically but socially as well,” she says. “Having a community of fellow women pursuing engineering was one of the most important parts of my college experience.”

After graduation, she plans to study for a graduate degree and eventually work in the renewable energy field.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2025 class here.