Undergraduate Degree in Electrical Engineering – Department of Electrical Engineering, UConn School of Engineering
By Shruthi Nagaraj – Research Assistant, UConn SNE IAC
Congratulations to Nicholas Satta on his recent graduation with an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering with a Mathematics minor in May 2023 from the UConn’s School of Engineering.
Nicholas always enjoyed the hands-on work of building circuits and figuring out how modern electronics work. He has been fascinated with learning how the world around us works and how to improve it as we progress further into the digital age. He loves the challenge and satisfaction that engineering provides, being able to brainstorm an idea, building and programming a circuit, working through countless bugs, and finally having a working solution to a problem. UConn was his first choice to pursue his undergrad since it provided a great academic experience with the engineering program. The partnerships with major companies, collaboration with industry and dedication to research were all deciding factors along with the UConn’s nationally ranked sports teams.
During the undergraduate course, lab-based courses were his favorites as they are hands-on and there is an opportunity to take an innovative approach to apply the material and technology that were discussed in class. Nicholas adds that some of the courses like electric machines and drives which are taught in the undergraduate program provide the fundamentals of electric machines and power electronics that are all used in industrial settings. Modern Power Systems have taught the basics of power system planning, operation, and management, also covering various sustainable energy sources and their grid integration. All these courses that Nicholas took up have been very useful for his work at the Industrial Assessment Center to understand the equipment in a manufacturing environment and the system delivering power to these machines. The energy assessment work at IAC the is in line with Nicholas’s interests, which prompted him to join UConn’s Southern New England Industrial Assessment Center during his junior year. Since then, he has been a part of several onsite energy assessments and has contributed greatly to the different activities of the center like utility bill analysis, post-audit data analysis, report making and website development. He says that the work at IAC not only teaches the next generation of engineers how to work towards a more environmentally friendly future but also provides an inside look on various manufacturing processes and exposure to working within an industrial environment. The work that IAC does is imperative towards a better future for us all while training engineers with a sustainable mindset.
While at IAC, Nicholas gained exposure to manufacturing processes of materials and products and to working with various data acquisition instruments, sensors, and other equipment all used in an industrial setting. Based on the data collected during the energy audits, he along with the team of students researched the cause of problems and how to choose an appropriate solution that is economical and environmentally conscious. The reasoning for certain design decisions and the criteria to make these decisions required a lot of research and analytical skills. Nicholas adds that after working at IAC his whole perspective towards looking at things even in everyday life has changed and he is constantly looking at ways different problems can be approached or figuring out the reasons for certain design decisions. He thinks that overall, this experience has made him a better engineer, more inquisitive and more informed about the world around. He plans on taking his experience with the IAC and carrying it through his engineering career. He strives to continue to improve his knowledge of energy systems and manufacturing processes, analytical skills, communication, and report writing which will be pivotal as he begins his career soon.
Nicholas says, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my IAC experience, thanks to the exceptional leadership of Dr. Liang Zhang and assistant directors, Dr. Amy Thompson, and Dr. Ravi Gorthala. Under their direction, it has been great to see how much the IAC has grown from when I first joined. They are great role models to look up to and do everything possible to give you the tools to grow as a person and succeed as an engineer.”
Nicholas has also won several awards and recognitions for his work during his undergrad years. Some of them are:
- Featured Student Highlight in the UConn ECE Fall 2022 Newsletter
- CoMIS International Case Competition – 3rd place winner
- Served as Lab Manager at OPIM Innovate for 2 years
UConn SNE IAC would like to congratulate Nicholas upon his successful graduation from UConn with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and wish him the best as he steps foot into the work force to begin his career as an Electronics Design Engineer at ASML.