2024-Ariel Haber-Fawcett

 

Ariel Haber-Fawcett

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Dual Degree: International Studies

Minor: Spanish

GPA: 3.81

THESIS TOPIC

Optimization Controls for Residential Electric Water Heaters as Thermal Energy Storage Devices

PERSONAL STATEMENT

If you had told me freshman year that by the time that I graduated college, I would have received a 3am phone call from a mother in labor who needed a ride to the hospital, lived with a Maya family and installed solar water heaters across Guatemala, and married the love of my life, I never would have believed you. I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have been afforded to become involved in Refugee Action, to study abroad, and to meet so many amazing people.

Many people who know me through my involvement in Refugee Action, Middle Eastern Studies Association, or other social justice initiatives, are surprised to learn that I am an engineer. However, the engineering and international studies dual degree is exactly what drew me to Lafayette. While this may label me as “well-rounded”, I see both degrees as two means to the same end. Whether it’s developing renewable energy technologies to combat climate change or advocating for a free Palestine, both are tools that we can use in our fight for human rights and justice for all.

Through Refugee Action, I’ve had the opportunity to form lifelong friendships with six different refugee families. I’ve spent countless hours helping these families navigate medical appointments, apply for government benefits, file taxes, secure housing, find employment, etc. Not only have I learned to communicate across a language barrier and gained a deeper understanding of other cultures, but I have also built leadership, organizational, and communication skills from leading a 45-person club, in which the effectiveness of our work directly impacts the wellbeing of a family. Through my involvement, I have come to understand the Lafayette Ideal as someone who uses the privilege and resources that their Lafayette degree provides to advocate for others and who never stays silent in the face of injustice.

OTHER INFORMATION

I began college in fall of 2019 and COVID hit during my second semester freshman year. I finished out the school year online from home in Wisconsin. However, I did not feel safe returning to campus the following school year during the pandemic and didn’t want to spend one of the four years of my college experience studying online. For this reason, I took a leave of absence for one year. While on leave, I first worked a full-time job as a Field Representative for Progressive Turnout Project which entailed making phone calls and writing letters to voters to get Democrats out to the polls. Following the November election, I worked as a contact tracer for the WI DHS. Following that, I worked as a utility locator for the City of Madison. Outside of work, I remained engaged in campus orgs such as Refugee Action and Lafayette Sunrise Movement. During this time, I served as the case management committee chair of Refugee Action. I also volunteered as a phonebank lead on a state senate campaign in July and August in which I ran weekly phonebanks and trainings as well as volunteering in other capacities such as lit dropping and textbanking. I also volunteered to do weekly deliveries from a food pantry to two community fridges. Lastly, I took Physics II online at UW-Madison and spent a significant amount of time helping with various home improvement projects such as repairing a staircase, a screen door, painting, sanding and staining a deck, repairing plumbing, etc.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY/AWARD

Marquis Fellow- 4 years

Recipients have demonstrated intellectual curiosity, superior academic achievement, have made a difference in their community, and display the Marquis’ ideals of global citizenship, scholarly pursuits, leadership, and concern for others.

Dean’s List- 4 semesters

Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023

Sigma Iota Rho International Studies Honor Society- 1 year

International Affairs students who have excelled academically and who have shown extracurricular achievement

CITLS Fellow- .5 year

Observed classes, led focus groups, and provided two professors with individualized feedback on implementing classroom inclusivity measures throughout the course of the fall 2023 semester.

Winner of 2023 Spanish Literary Contest – Short Story Category- 0

I won the competition with a short story written in the magical realism style titled, “El Termómetro”

PHENND Conference Presentation- 0

Delivered a workshop on how to build a student-run or faculty-led Every Campus a Refuge Chapter at participant’s academic institution. Shared Refugee Action’s model and the lessons that we have learned over the years.

Engineering Peer Mentor- 1 year

Fostered a relationship with a female first-year engineering student through monthly check-ins. Discussed academic and social challenges and successes. Offered advice and connected student to school resources and opportunities.

Manufacturing & Design Lab Assistant- 1 year

Worked one-on-one with students enrolled in ME210 in order to teach safe operation of the vertical mill. Provided additional instruction on broaching, drill press, and reaming operations as needed. I felt it was important for me to hold this position as a female, upperclassman as this course is the first hands-on design class that mechanical engineering sophomores take and non-male students often doubt themselves and their abilities.

Clare Booth Luce Scholar- 1.5 years

During the summer of 2022, I worked as a CBL scholar with Professor Van Asselt. Designed and built an electric water heater experiment that uses arduino to power on and off the elements and open and close a valve at designated time steps in order to simulate water use events in a home, as well as to record thermocouple measurements. Tested water heater element schedules optimized for cost and solar generation. I continued this work part-time during the 2022-23 school year as well.

Honors Thesis in Mechanical Engineering- 1 year

My honors thesis is a continuation of my CBL research. The goal of my research is to develop smart controls for residential electric water heaters that will allow them to be utilized as thermal energy storage devices. This just means that we can take advantage of the ability of water heaters to store heat for long periods of time in order to store energy thermally as an alternative to battery energy storage. As renewable energy capacity is skyrocketing globally, energy storage is a top priority. We depend on energy storage so that we can use renewable energy at times in which the sun is not shining or the wind is
not blowing. I am developing a MATLAB optimization algorithm that produces optimal water heater power schedules given data on the availability of wind energy, sample water use events, and thermodynamic constraints. In order to maximize the use of renewable energy and minimize the use of fossil fuels, these schedules turn on the water heater most when renewable energy is available and least when it is not.

CAMPUS SERVICE ACTIVITY/AWARD

Middle Eastern Studies Association- 1 year

I am the co-president and co-founder of MESA. Our initial work began in Fall of 2022 when we tried to found a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine at Lafayette, but after facing a lot of backlash we founded MESA in fall of 2023. This year we raised over $1,000 dollars for earthquake relief in Morocco and Syria, over $500 for relief in Palestine, and have organized dozens of educational events.

Indigenous Rights Coalition- 2.5 years

I co-founded Indigenous Rights Coalition (formerly Sullivan Removal Coalition). I don’t hold an official position as we are non-hierarchical, however I handle most of the meeting logistics and internal communication in the organization. IRC is a collective of students, faculty, and staff dedicated to advocating for Indigenous sovereignty and combating ongoing settler colonization on campus, by demanding institutional accountability and systemic change, in order to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for indigenous community members.

Dear Lafayette College- 1 year

Applied to and was accepted as a member of the Dear Lafayette College coalition. Dear Lafayette College was a Black student-led collective determined to hold the administration and community members of Lafayette College accountable for perpetual institutional racism, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against the Black community.

Sunrise Movement- 1.5 years

Lafayette Sunrise aimed to use electoral and community-based activism to galvanize the Lafayette community to support climate justice. I organized dozens of phonebanks and served as the Justice Equity Anti Oppression lead during Spring ‘21 and Fall ‘21 semesters.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Refugee Action- 5 years

I have held a variety of different roles in Refugee Action over the years. During my freshman year I served as the transportation coordinator, helping the family get to doctor’s appointments, religious obligations, the grocery store, ESL classes, and more. I served as the case management committee chair for two years during my leave of absence and during my sophomore year. I led weekly committee meetings and helped the family navigate the US medical system, apply for and renew government benefits, and apply for immigration benefits. During my junior year, I served as the finance committee chair. I led biweekly committee meetings and helped the family members open bank accounts, secure employment, pay bills, and learn to budget. I currently serve as president of resettlement. I manage a team of 36 students and directly supervise the 10 members of the executive board. I lead weekly exec meetings as well as biweekly general body meetings and handle all communication with the refugee resettlement agency as well as with the Lafayette
administration. As our organization takes on the traditional responsibilities of the refugee resettlement agency, I maintain constant communication with the refugee family as well and track closely to make sure that we are fulfilling their needs as they adjust to life in America and that all of the legally required components of the resettlement process are completed in a timely manner.

Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education- 1.5 years

One of 12 Lafayette students selected to become a LIME mentor. We prepared lesson plans in order to lead three weeks of classes at a high school in Madagascar over winter break in order to better their English skills and prepare Malagasy high school students for applying to colleges in America. My team was responsible for preparing the students for the listening portion of the TOEFL exam. Following the interim experience, we stayed in touch with the Malagasy students and helped one of them prepare her application materials for Lafayette College.

Alternative School Break- 1.5 years

Served as a trip leader for the indigenous rights trip that was planned to New York City (Lenape land) and to the Onondaga and Seneca nations. Planned mini-trips to history museums in Easton and Philly and led reflective discussions. Bringing this work back to campus is what jump started the founding of Indigenous Rights Coalition, surrounding discussions of Sullivan’s legacy here at Lafayette.

ATHLETIC ACTIVITY/AWARD

Ultimate Frisbee- 2 years

I played on the Ultimate Frisbee team for my freshman and sophomore years, attending practices and weekend tournaments in the area.

Rec Services Crate Stacking Champion- 0

My proudest athletic accomplishments is winning the crate stacking competition in Spring ‘20 and holding the record at 17 crates.

SPECIAL INTEREST/ACTIVITY AWARD

Internship at Enérgica Solar- .25 year

During the summer between my junior and senior year, I designed my own 8-week study abroad experience to fill the engineering and international studies dual degree requirement. I was awarded a $5,000 stipend from the Bergh Family Fellows program and it was important to me to not spend this on an American-run study abroad experience where I would be surrounded by other English speakers. In order to build an authentic immersion experience
where I could also pursue my engineering passions, I searched for a Spanish-speaking city in Latin America that had solar energy companies and host-stay opportunities. After sending many cold emails and WhatsApp messages, I was able to find a company called Enérgica Solar in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala that was willing to offer me an unpaid internship installing solar water heaters with their installation techs for 8 weeks over the summer. I also found a small, Maya-family-owned Spanish language school within walking distance. I lived with the family and took Spanish classes from them.

Internship at PPL- .5 year

Over winter break of my senior year, I completed a 4-week internship at PPL Electric on the grid modernization team. I have continued this internship into the spring semester and currently work at PPL two days per week. In my role, I support the implementation of Early Fault Detection sensors through field observations, data analysis, and quality control measures.

Organized Dining Sit-In- 0

Along with other student organizers, I helped organize the family weekend dining sit-in that occurred on the steps of Farinon and in the lobby of Marquis Dining Hall. Over 50 students, alumni, parents, and dining hall workers participated in the rain for hours advocating for food accommodations for all students and fair working conditions for staff members.