Eclectic NJIT Engineering Grad Will Andrews to Study International Development in Dublin
The bachelor’s that Donald “Will” Andrews earned at New Jersey Institute of Technology is in industrial engineering, but his heart is in international development.
The 2022 graduate’s interest in global issues traces back to high school, when he participated in the Model United Nations, and accelerated after his second year at NJIT, when he tackled a Humanity in Action Fellowship that examined democracy and pluralism in modern Germany in the context of the Holocaust.
The summer 2020 fellowship was to take him to Berlin, but alas, COVID-19 shifted it to Zoom instead. Now, his sights are set on Dublin, where this fall he’ll begin a masters in development program at Trinity College that “blends health, natural, social and management sciences — combined with cross-sectoral professional field training and placements — to better understand international development problems and apply best practices,” as described by Trinity, where he earned a Reimagining Global Sustainability Postgraduate Scholarship.
“It is a one-year program and I was drawn to Trinity's excellent reputation and extensive support systems for international students,” explained Andrews, who’s from Lexington, Ky. “Furthermore, I have ancestral ties to Ireland and am excited to investigate those further once I arrive.”
Sounds like the beginning of a great adventure.
The eclectic engineer’s years in University Heights were defined by scholarship, community service, athletics and leadership.
As an Albert Dorman Honors College Scholar, he became a teaching assistant for the college’s freshman seminar, and as a libero and outside hitter for Men’s Volleyball, he made the All-Academic team of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association three years in a row. He also took time to teach volleyball to elementary school students at the First Avenue School in Newark and was featured in an NJIT episode of Amazon Prime Video's The College Tour.
Andrews, who minored in global studies, credited his development to key mentors at ADHC, NJIT’s Newark College of Engineering and its College of Science and Liberal Arts.
At ADHC, advisor Lorna Ronald “helped me articulate my thoughts and find the fields that brought my eclectic interests together. She encouraged me to embrace all my interests and interdisciplinary inclinations in engineering, geography, history and social science rather than feel like I was pigeonholed by my choice of study,” Andrews noted. “I would not be heading to Ireland without her guidance.”
At NCE, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Esra Buyuktahtakin-Toy was “fantastic at showing students how what we learn in the classroom can translate to real-world change. She inspired me to broaden my academic horizons and to apply the principles of engineering in novel ways.”
Finally, at CSLA, Professor of History Karl Schweizer “encouraged me to explore my interests in history — even though it fell outside my major — and explore new areas of study for my master's degree,” Andrews said. “I was nervous about potentially switching from undergraduate work in a STEM field to graduate work in the social sciences, but Dr. Schweizer encouraged me to do so and assured me that I would be up to the task.”
It was on the volleyball court, however, that Andrews learned perhaps his most valuable lesson: “You can get anywhere with hard work.”
The team, like Andrews himself, realized its potential in just a few years.
“We went from the bottom half of the conference and not qualifying for the conference tournament to beating nationally ranked teams and making the conference finals,” the outside hitter explained. “I got to play with and against individuals who are on national teams. Those things happened because of the work that my teammates and I put in.”
That exceptional work ethic should serve him well in Dublin. Sláinte, Will, sláinte!
