Woman taking a photo of a mumified bird
Two students working on a autonomous plane
Duffield Hall at sunset.
Students walking along Ho Plaza
Two students walking on Engineering Quad towards Duffield

Meet Dasha

Major: computer science
Hometown: Mount Vernon, NY

Why did you choose Cornell and/or Cornell Engineering?
When I got my acceptances, I felt like the emails I received from Cornell Engineering were friendly and made an effort to connect me with resources starting out. Within these channels, I found myself building a community, which made it easier to make my decision. Cornell having such a great engineering program and a friendly student body made my decision for me.

What is your favorite thing about Cornell and/or Cornell Engineering?
I love how the classes push you to achieve. There are so many interesting and challenging classes and even though things feel impossible in the present, I look back impressed with myself.

How did you get involved outside the classroom?
I am on the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle project team (CUAUV), involved in research with the Shepherd Organic Robotics Lab, and am in Impact Dance! I’m on CUAUV’s Mechanical Subteam, where I designed the frame for our newest competition vehicle. We CAD our designs and then manufacture most parts in-house in the Emmerson Machine Shop! I worked in research this past summer, working on a robotic gripper capable of tactile feedback. Summer in Ithaca is a lot of fun! Impact Dance puts on a semesterly performance in numerous dance styles such as ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Our performances are fully student-run and student-choreographed. It’s been really fun to get to keep dancing while in college!