Breaking through the comfort zone
Photo courtesy of Logan Karls.
CSE senior grows through leadership and research involvement
April 23, 2020
It was late March, and College of Science and Engineering student Logan Karls was just a few experiments away from completing the work he would need to co-author his second scientific paper. However, two days before Karls was supposed to finish, he received an email informing students that labs across campus were closed due to the looming threat of COVID-19.
“That really sucked because I wanted to be a part of another paper,” said Karls, a senior majoring in materials science. “And to get that data done, it wouldn’t have taken very long. But, [closing the labs is] something that’s necessary [for our safety].”
Having to pause research is only one of the downsides of the novel coronavirus for University of Minnesota students, who are now grappling with online coursework and preserving connections to classmates while maintaining social distancing. Although he is disappointed his senior year had to end this way, Karls—who recently earned a President’s Student Leadership and Service Award—is glad the University is taking the appropriate safety measures.
“I’m proud to be a part of a university that’s been really progressive about addressing the situation,” he said.
“I’ve been really impressed by the number of professors who have tried to readjust the curriculum and schedules to try to make this as least stressful as possible,” he said. “They all just want what’s best for us.”
This untimely end to the semester doesn’t discount the work Karls, a recipient of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) Tu and Pi-Fang Chen Scholarship, has done thus far in his academic career.
Baby steps
Growing up in the small town of Big Lake, Minn., Karls came to the University of Minnesota with the intention of leaving his comfort zone.
“I wanted to get out of that small town vibe, and I wanted to push myself into an atmosphere I wasn’t accustomed to and grow as an individual,” he explained. “And I think the University of Minnesota was definitely one of the best choices for that.”
A self-proclaimed introvert, Karls knew that the only way to improve his social and communication skills was to put himself out there. He joined the Science and Engineering Student Board (SESB) as a freshman and served as treasurer for the next two years.
Through SESB, Karls eventually joined the National Association of Engineering Student Council (NAESC), a nonprofit made up of more than 50 science and engineering student councils at universities across the United States. This year, he served as its president and chair.
“It was definitely baby steps,” Karls said. “Just starting with that one step and slowly moving up in terms of responsibility and things that normally would scare the heck out of me. I’ve learned that every time I’ve done that, I’ve gotten something out of it, and I’ve grown as an individual.”
Because the organization spans colleges nationwide, Karls is well-accustomed to online communication. He said that practice of conducting Zoom meetings actually made his transition to online learning during COVID-19 a lot easier.
“It’s just been an amazing experience, especially in the leadership and communication skills I’ve gained,” he said.
“I’ve had so many experiences to hone my management and leadership skills that I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere else, especially with an organization on the national scale,” he added.
This year, Karls focused on engaging with more alumni through NAESC events and social media. He also helped improve the organization’s diversity and inclusivity (D&I) efforts, working with a D&I committee within NAESC to facilitate discussions on the importance of diversity in STEM.
The ability to create change in this way is exactly why Karls joined CSE student government in the first place.
“I came into the university wanting to be a part of some sort of organization that’s all about trying to make change for the better,” he said. “Being on a student board, there’s a lot of trying to make the undergraduate experience the best it can be.”
Hooked on research
Number two on the list of things outside Karls’ comfort zone? Research.
Despite this, Karls tackled it head on, working with Regents Professor Tim Lodge (CEMS) and Distinguished McKnight University Professor Theresa Reineke (chemistry) to study polymers and their ability to act as drug delivery vehicles. This past year, Karls co-authored his first paper, which was published in the American Chemical Society’s academic journal.
“It was really, really rewarding to see [the paper] finally come together,” he said, “because I knew it had the potential to impact future designs of drug delivery vehicles like for cancer treatment or different illnesses like that.”
And once he started doing research, he didn’t want to stop. In fact, it helped solidify his future aspirations.
“I was exposed to this whole new world of research, and I really got addicted to it and still am,” Karls said.
“I definitely wouldn’t have thought of going to grad school if I hadn’t started doing research as an undergrad,” he said.
After he earns his doctoral degree in polymer science and engineering, Karls plans to go into industry. His dream job is working in the research and development department at 3M.
With all of his experiences throughout college, he feels prepared for that career. Learning how to communicate effectively and conduct science ethically were two big takeaways he feels will benefit him in his future career.
“Communicating data is insanely important when it comes to research and development,” Karls said. “A lot of times you have to present data to higher ups within the company who maybe won’t know anything about what you’re doing.”
But first, graduation.
Although he didn’t have the closure he wanted for his last semester, Karls hasn’t lost sight of his college experience as a whole.
“Being on this campus has really opened my eyes to different possibilities and things that are going on in the world,” Karls said. “I think if I would have gone to a smaller school, I wouldn’t have had that sort of experience.”
Story by Olivia Hultgren
Read about other graduating seniors and their CSE experiences:
The road less traveled
A bright future in academia awaits
Bring on the internships, says SWE president
From the 'sandbox' to the real world
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