Joseph Hanson – Distinguished Graduate
Joseph Hanson
B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduated from Florence High School in Florence, Arizona
Joseph Hanson was awarded the Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Community/Maricopa Engineering Transition Scholars Scholarship, the Dougherty Foundation Scholarship, the Peter Stein Measurement Engineering Scholarship, an American Society of Mechanical Engineers scholarship and the Blowers Engineering Scholarship, among others. He made the Fulton School of Engineering Dean’s List in three semesters and participated in two FURI projects and was a member and a local project leader for an Engineers Without Borders team for a year.
What led you to choose to study engineering and to decide on the specific major you chose?
I have always been a thinker and a tinkerer. It took me a while to decide I had what it took to get through the math. I had two great math teachers at Paradise Valley Community College who helped build my confidence in being able to solve challenging problems. From this confidence came joy. That’s when I realized I could be an engineer, solving problems for a living, and I knew I would be happy being challenged like that.
What has been most rewarding about your undergraduate years at ASU? What has been most challenging?
I feel most rewarded by the fact that I have learned to trust in myself. I trust in my dedication to a dream, my ability to learn and solve problems, as well as my work ethic and my ability to function without sleep if needed.
Is there a professor who has been particularly instrumental in helping you grow as a student? How and in what way did they impact you?
Mary Anderson-Rowland, who ran the Motivated Engineering Transfer Student program, taught me how to do a good resume and network. Jay Oswald was a great teacher. He helped me network with other professors and always had an open door to help with a homework problem or career advice.
Liping Wang was a great advisor and mentor during my FURI project. He helped teach me how to research journals and present my data in meaningful ways. Kiran Solanki was also a great advisor and mentor during my other FURI project. He taught me about mechanical testing and allowed me to work on some really fun side projects in his lab.
What are your plans after graduation? Graduate school? Do you have a job lined up?
After an internship with Intel, I have been offered a job at the company’s Chandler campus as a thermal mechanical systems engineer in the Internet of Things Group. I am currently in the 4+1 program and will continue studying part-time to earn a master’s degree. I feel that with my degree I can accomplish anything I put my mind, heart and soul into. As for a dream for my life, I just dream of living a fulfilling life where I can find joy in the simple things like family, community and good food.