Alexa Van Voorhis ‘22,‘23:

The epitome of a multifaceted engineer

Alexa took advantage of UMass Dartmouth’s accelerated BS/MS program in bioengineering to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years. During her outstanding undergraduate career, she rose to both academic and athletic excellence. She won the NASA & MIT Space Grant Fellowship, the National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Scholarship, and the NSF Accomplish Scholarship, among others. As a Cross Country athlete, Alexa became the first Li le East Conference Runner of the Year in program history, and in 2023 was named UMass Dartmouth’s Female Athlete of the Year. Alexa also became a leader and an advocate for diversity in her field, serving as President of the Society for Women in Engineering (SWE) and Co-Founder and Vice President of Out in STEM. During her year as a master’s student, Alexa delved further into ambitious and exciting research, motivated by the food insecurity crisis brought on by climate change, an issue deeply felt in our region.

The port of New Bedford is a critical economic asset to the economy of the MA SouthCoast. Climate change is projected to have impacts not only on fisheries but also on coastal infrastructure needed to support the marine economy. Bioengineering faculty and students like Alexa work to develop solutions to climate change while supporting the marine economy.

“My current research focuses on repurposing the loads of seashell waste Massachuse s generates annually as a carbon source for biofuel production,” Alexa explains.

Her passion and knowledge earned Alexa a seat at the table during Governor Maura Healey’s sustainability roundtable event at UMass Dartmouth, the governor’s first trip outside the State House since being sworn into office

“Over the past year, I’ve grown increasingly passionate about utilizing my academic interests for research to combat the unprecedented effects of the climate crisis. My newfound curiosity and collaborative spirit ultimately pushed me to apply to PhD programs this past fall. In this process, I’ve realized there is a huge community out there in addition to my own at UMass Dartmouth who care about the same things I do, i.e., investigating the production of sustainable chemicals and fuels through metabolic engineering. I can proudly say I’ve grown into a more confident, passionate, and intellectually inclined student, athlete, friend, and family member the past year here. As a master’s student, I’ve seen myself grow my critical thinking, communication skills, and natural aptitude for research, which I believe has prepared me well for my PhD program.

“I am incredibly excited to start my PhD program at Northeastern University in Chemical Engineering this fall.”

I can proudly say I’ve grown into a more confident, passionate, and intellectually inclined student, athlete, friend, and family member the past year here.