A bright future in academia awaits
Photo courtesy of Kat Fransen.
CSE senior heads to grad school amid uncertainty from COVID-19
April 21, 2020
As the first person from her Indiana high school ever to attend the University of Minnesota, Kat Fransen had little to no connections when she began her freshman year in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE). Now, the senior majoring in chemical engineering has built a strong community and resumé within CSE—one that includes leadership positions in the UMN section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), experience teaching organic chemistry, and undergraduate research.
This fall, Fransen will take her love for both teaching and research to the East Coast, where she’ll be attending graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the fall with a research fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Due to the uncertainties COVID-19 poses, Fransen could be looking at a first semester that’s completely online, which means she would miss out on face-to-face interactions with her new classmates and professors. However, Fransen said she would rather deal with an awkward first semester than a completely uncertain future, as some CSE students are currently facing.
“I just feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to attend graduate school and have concrete plans in my future,” she said. “Compared to my classmates who are facing the uncertainty of job offers and prospects and those whose health has been impacted by the virus, I think a little strangeness on my part is nothing to complain about.”
Fransen is a recipient of multiple CSE and University of Minnesota scholarships including the Kempf Scholarship, the Sheldon and Karen Thompson Scholarship, the Todd and Nancy Fredin Scholarship, and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) Alumni Scholarship.
Learning through research
Fransen first heard of chemical engineering from her high school AP physics teacher, who was a retired navy chemical engineer, and she chose the University of Minnesota for its breadth of options.
“Minnesota had offered me more research opportunities and really stressed that to me,” Fransen said. “I knew I was interested in research, so I came here for the resources that were going to be available to me even as an underclassman.”
Since her freshman year, Fransen has been working in CSE professor Ben Hackel’s protein engineering lab, which aims to develop molecular targeting agents for medical applications. One of her responsibilities is finding ways to make the sample testing process more efficient.
“I really like solving those fundamental problems,” Fransen said of her interest in research. “The idea of being able to ask a question and come up with a solution is really interesting to me."
“It’s the same reason that I enjoy baking or cooking," she said. "You get to play with things and see what comes out on the other side.”
Throughout her four years in CSE, Fransen has been able to present her research at various conferences, including last fall’s national Society of Women Engineers poster competition, which left a big impression on her.
“You meet—from all around the world, really—incredible women and people who are going through the same things you are, who are trying to change their industries, everything they’re working on, or just be there as role models,” she said. “It’s super empowering.”
Fransen said she’s continuously impressed by the mentorship she has received at the University and how much CSE faculty want undergraduates to succeed. They also trust them to get the work done. Fransen is grateful for the independence and creative freedom she’s allowed in the research lab.
“I’ve never been told, ‘you can’t do that,’” she said. “I have my own projects that I lead even as an undergrad.”
Practice what you teach
These days, Fransen is focused on being that role model for younger CSE students. She recently received a 2020 University of Minnesota President’s Student Leadership and Service Award, and a 2020 University of Minnesota Alumni Association Donald R. Zander Alumni Award for Outstanding Student Leadership.
“When I got [to the U of M], I was kind of like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know anybody,’” she said. “But I’ve found that I really enjoy teaching and being able to be there for someone to answer questions so they don’t have to go through what I went through.”
Fransen has been a teaching assistant for CSE 1001, taught organic chemistry through student group OChem Connections, and mentored younger students through the University’s Honors College. Another way Fransen aims to guide others is through SWE, where she served as the CSE Career Fair director her junior year and the student group’s treasurer this year.
“You can feel pretty isolated and alone when you’re the only one that identifies as you or looks like you in a group,” she said.
“It’s easy to be talked over and not heard, so having a group to back you up means you can feel empowered to raise your voice or have someone to share those experiences with when you feel frustrated,” she added.
Lately, Fransen has been working with her SWE leadership team members to sustain that community virtually with everyone at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, hosting everything from webinars to knitting social hours.
“We've been trying to keep everyone engaged and remind them that we are here to support them through the challenges and changes we're facing,” Fransen said. “Honestly, people showing off their pets has been a highlight of keeping spirits up, and revisiting video games from our childhoods and bonding over those.”
Fransen knows two things for sure. She wants to stay involved in SWE—the society even has groups for those in retirement. And, she aims to continue on the mentoring path throughout her future career in academia, potentially becoming a professor one day.
At MIT, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. She hopes to do research in the biomaterials field, which involves engineering materials to interact with biological systems, often for medical purposes.
But even after Fransen heads east, she’ll always be thankful for Minnesota.
“I’ve definitely seen the impact of how a big research university with lots of diversity can change your worldview,” Fransen said. “Making sure that I’m promoting that culture of inclusivity wherever I go and welcoming other people and other ideas is something I’m going to take with me and hopefully bring back.”
Story by Olivia Hultgren
Read about other graduating seniors and their CSE experiences:
The road less traveled
Breaking through the comfort zone
Bring on the internships, says SWE president
From the 'sandbox' to the real world
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