Cover Story
“doing meaningful work”
A
After graduating from high school, Morgantown native Matt Keaton came to WVU ready to study his two main passions: mathematics and physics. After opting for a dual degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering, he realized after taking several courses, the degree wasn’t for him. “The second semester of college, I took a mechatronics course, which is a cross between mechanics and electronics concepts,” said Keaton. “Our final project involved creating a robot that would place balls into a basket and navigate an arena using sensors. The work entailed constructing the robot, programming the microcontroller and debugging the program so the robot did the tasks correctly. I quickly noticed that I enjoyed myself far more doing this type of work than what I did in my other classes. I realized I had a true passion for the engineering, mathematics and programming knowledge required for a discipline in this field, so I decided I would be happier in the Lane Department, and the rest is history.” With majors in computer science and computer engineering and minors in mathematics and physics, Keaton, a senior and member of the Honors College, conducts research at WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in connectomics, working to create a 3D map of the brain, including neurons and each of their connections.
40
2019
|
ENGINEERINGWV MAGAZINE
SPRING