By IEOR senior Yue Tu
On August 29, 2005, during my first week at Cal, Hurricane Katrina made landfall at 6:10 a.m. just east of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Category 3 storm devastated the region and resulted in what I regard as the worst civil engineering disaster in American history.
Yet, in that moment of crisis, there existed immense opportunity. Teams of engineers from UC Berkeley rushed to investigate why the levees failed and why the city was flooded. They developed a list of recommendations for a long-term flood defense system that not only are helping in the reconstruction of New Orleans, but also offer the opportunity to improve these systems around the world. Within my first week here, I got a small taste of what it meant to be a Berkeley Engineer. I felt proud to be surrounded by men and women who apply their knowledge toward improving the lives of others around the world.
These four years at Cal have been filled with different experiences. Many of us have branched out to explore all the amazing things Berkeley has to offer. From bonding nights hosted by our student clubs to cheering our Cal Bears at various sporting events, these enriching experiences have shaped our individual college experiences.
One thing has remained constant, though. As Berkeley Engineers, our path has not been an easy one. Many of us have faced challenging exams, grueling team projects and many nights of burning the midnight oil.
Berkeley Engineering is certainly not for the timid. Nor is it for those who give up in the face of hardship, those who cut corners instead of following through, or those who want to sit back and enjoy the rewards of others’ hard labor. It is this training in perseverance that makes us Berkeley Engineers. We thrive on seemingly insurmountable challenges, such as engineering a competitive solar-powered car or drafting a business plan for a new venture.
Solutions never come without hardship. The most beautiful and brilliant things — discoveries, inventions, thoughts — are often born through great adversity, often over many long and painstaking trials. After more than a decade of research and training, we landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.
The challenges ahead are serious and many. This past year, the global economic crisis has dissolved personal assets, corporations and even governments. How will we respond? With each crisis comes a need for change, a need for solutions. That is precisely what engineers are trained to do.
Though I’m a student in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, I’ve been impressed by and proud of all the departments and programs in the College of Engineering in our increasingly global community.
Engineers are trained to speak and deliver ideas not just with words but in programming codes, CAD drawings, event diagrams and circuit models. This gives us an incredible skill set to tackle many of the problems and challenges we face today. From finding a cure for cancer to implementing sustainable energy systems, we have a long list of challenges. At Cal, we have received a world-class education so that we can strive to meet these challenges. The foundation has been set. The tools are readied. It is our turn to build.
