Florida State University and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering undergraduate student Lauren Bishop was a leader in several organizations during her four years in college, including serving as the FSU student representative on the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Joint Management Council. (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
Lauren Bishop is taking every opportunity she sees to make a positive impact before she graduates this spring.
From organizations to volunteering, the Florida State University chemical engineering undergrad takes time to make a difference.
Bishop is one of two student representatives on the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Joint Management Council. Representing FSU on the important governing body alongside her FAMU student counterpart, Bishop represents the joint engineering student body on the council, which oversees the college’s administration. In this role, she sits with the dean, university presidents and upper management, and officials from the State University System to share the student perspective.
“Being on the Joint Management Council is vital to me because I care about the future of the joint college,” Bishop said. “I think Dean De and other administrators are working hard to grow our program and I love that I get the opportunity to assist in that process. A school cannot be a school without its students, so being able to provide that student outlook and perspective is valuable to me.”
Bishop is actively involved in several organizations on campus, including the Dean’s Advisory Board, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the FAMU-FSU Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, the Student Engineering Leadership Board. She was also a marketing assistant at the college.
Bishop’s parents are both engineers and taught her the benefits of the profession when she was young. They encouraged her to make an impression, positively impact the community, and always take advantage of service opportunities when they arise.
“My teachers, my parents, and all the organizations I’m involved with prioritize community service and giving back, which is amazing,” Bishop said. “One service project I worked on was the COE sculpture renewal project. It was rewarding because everyone got together to revitalize a great engineering piece at the college. Science Saturdays at the Challenger Learning Center were also really gratifying.”
When Bishop is not volunteering, she is either in class or the lab. She was an undergraduate researcher in the Ricarte Polymer and Vitrimer Laboratory, where she studied material and polymer sciences, analyzing polymer microstructures and optimizing analysis methods. One of her projects included manipulating nanoparticles to maximize pharmaceutical drug delivery. Many of her projects involved improving product quality.
She also gained valuable work experience through internships. At one, she worked on materials research and development at Sintavia, an additive manufacturing company for aerospace and propulsion systems. Her latest internship was at NIKE.
“Working at NIKE World Headquarters was a life-changing experience,” Bishop explained.
All this involvement has paid big benefits for this busy undergrad.
“I’ve been offered some great opportunities with different companies and am taking time to evaluate where I want to be,” she said. “Companies value students who are involved and I’m excited for having the privilege of being intentional with the job I select.”
She’s still deciding on what the future holds after graduation, but her best advice for students is to get involved, “because community is important.”
“Many of the skills I’ve learned from a professional standpoint have been through my organizational involvement in addition to my work and research. I am thankful to everyone who has encouraged me on this journey and am excited for the new opportunities ahead.”
Finding time to balance chemical engineering courses, activities and involvement was no easy task for Bishop. “But I have learned to live by my calendar and prioritize what was important to me,” she explained. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be involved in so many different areas of the college. The last four years have led to great experiences, and I’ve learned a lot.”
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