BCoE Student Hall of Fame 2023: Reese Dunne

What is your name, age, classification and major?

Reese Dunne, 23, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

What year did you begin studying at MSU and when is your expected graduation date?

I began studying at MSU in August of 2018 and will graduate in May of 2023.

Why did you choose to attend MSU, and why did you choose an engineering field of study?

Being able to attend my hometown university, run on the track and field team and join the Presidential Scholarship cohort made it a no-brainer that MSU was where I was meant to attend college. I had always been extremely passionate about math and science which naturally led to my interest in pursuing engineering. I love the broad scope that mechanical engineering covers and how it allows me to apply my STEM experiences and skillsets to a wide variety of disciplines.

What are your favorite campus organizations you have become a part of?

My favorite campus organizations have been MSU Track and Field and Cross Country and the State Singers Choir. So much of my collegiate career has been devoted to excelling in these rigorous but rewarding endeavors, and I am truly grateful for the lifelong friendships I have made through these programs. My other favorite campus organizations have been Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Lambda Sigma Honor Society, Shackouls Honors College Ambassadors and New Maroon Camp. All of these organizations have allowed me to connect with a diverse array of students both in and outside of my department, and serving the university and Starkville community with these students has been among the most fulfilling experiences of my time at State.

What has been your favorite course you have taken at MSU and why? 

My favorite course I have taken at MSU was fundamentals of finite element analysis, FEA, taught by Dr. Matthew Priddy. Dr. Priddy was able to make a challenging topic like FEA easily understandable and ultimately prepared me to utilize FEA outside of the classroom. In the semester before taking this course, I began an undergraduate research project in Dr. Priddy’s lab and started working with FEA to model magnesium degradation over time, and this was one of the first courses that allowed me to take what I had learned in a class and directly apply it into the research I was conducting on a daily basis. To this day, I still am building my knowledge of FEA and using the tools and skills I obtained from Dr. Priddy’s class to further my research.

Which course has been your most challenging at MSU and why? What was something you learned about yourself after taking that course?

Mechanics of machinery was probably the most challenging course I have taken at MSU. This was my first true upper-level course during college, so I was not accustomed to having to study 30+ hours before exams and completing 30-40-page Mathcad homework assignments. Additionally, analyzing the motion and calculating the forces, velocities and accelerations of various complicated machinery was extremely difficult to conceptualize throughout this course. However, Mrs. Jennie Daigler was critical in nurturing my understanding of these challenging concepts during our many office hour visits, and I learned that with hard work and extra support, I could master even the most demanding course material.

What is one thing you have learned, related to engineering, during your time in the Bagley College of Engineering?

One important thing I have learned throughout my time in the Bagley College of Engineering is the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in research. From participating in numerous group projects in my engineering courses, to joining research teams with dozens of talented students and professors from varied STEM fields, I have been granted numerous opportunities to see the benefits of applying multiple disciplines and viewpoints when tackling complex problems. Furthermore, the pivotal mentorship experiences I have received from these collaborations have inspired me to pursue a career of academia and provide that same mentorship to the next generations of students.

How has MSU and specifically the Bagley College of Engineering prepared you for professional life after college?

The Bagley College of Engineering has fully prepared me to pursue graduate school by teaching me a plethora of key engineering topics, multiple programming languages and exposing me to undergraduate research as early as my freshman year. More importantly, MSU and BCoE gave me the skills and knowledge I needed to work on projects that have real-world impacts on the medical field. Through my research in the Computational Mechanics and Materials Laboratory and other projects, I have truly become immersed in the intersection of mechanical and biomedical engineering and was able to discover my passion for using engineering and medical imaging to study and combat Alzheimer’s disease in graduate school.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I will attend graduate school and begin pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

What will you miss most about MSU after you graduate? 

Being born and raised in Starkville, I have formed such deep connections and bonds with so many people and communities on campus. Words cannot express how much I will miss interacting with my fellow BCoE classmates and faculty, training with my teammates, singing with my choir, attending MSU sporting events and just being a student at this amazing university, only seven minutes from my childhood home. However, no matter where I go, I will always bleed maroon and white and look forward to visiting as an alumnus for many years to come. Hail State!