Morrill Engineering Program - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Join us as we celebrate Dean Ivan Favila on his birthday! Thank you for your continued guidance, leadership, and dedication.

Wishing you a wonderful birthday and year ahead! 🐸

Happy Holidays from the MEP team! Wishing you a joyful holiday season filled with warmth and cheer. We can’t wait to see you in the new year!

From our MEP family to yours, wishing you a day filled with gratitude, good food, and great company. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍂

Photos from our recent MEP Meet Up, where we celebrated and connected with our first-generation students!

Congratulations to Saliyah As-Salaam (CEE) and Gerardo Paramo (BIOE) on their selection to the 2025 Homecoming Court! Their leadership and dedication continue to uplift others and make lasting contributions to both the MEP and Grainger communities. 🐸

Last week, MEP hosted our annual Systems of Success Retreat at Allerton Mansion. The retreat gave us the opportunity to create lasting memories, reflect together, and engage in meaningful conversations with our alumni. A big thank you to everyone who supported us and helped make this event possible! 🐸

We recently kicked off the semester with our Welcome Back Meeting, complete with food, games, and music! Thank you to everyone who came out and let’s have a great semester! 🐸

Last week, MEP welcomed our incoming first-year students to UIUC through the EMBARK early move-in program. Students engaged in hands-on design challenges, attended workshops, connected with faculty, and took time to reflect as they explored their new campus. Huge thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success, especially our partners at 3M for their sponsorship!

Meet Kamila Castillo and Kathure Kiunga — our Student Spotlights for this month!

Kamila is a senior majoring in Environmental Engineering. Over the past school year, she served on the Academic Affairs team for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and was actively involved as an Engineering Learning Assistant for ENG 101, a MEP Peer Mentor, and a member of the MEP Welcome Committee.

Fun fact: She recently started junk journaling.
Personal goal: To get into calisthenics this summer.

This summer, Kamila is interning in New York with GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind Team, where she collaborates with Application Engineers and the Commercial Team. She’s currently developing the framework and product requirements for an AI-powered tool designed to improve customer inquiry responses.

Kathure is a junior majoring in Electrical Engineering with double minors in Semiconductor Engineering and Technology & Management. She’s actively involved in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as Public Relations Chair, as well as MEP, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Illinois Semiconductor Research Initiative, and the Hoeft Technology & Management RSO.

On campus, Kathure serves as an Engineering Learning Assistant for ENG 101, a researcher in the Micro-Nano Mechanical Systems Cleanroom, and a tutor and mentor for the Upward Bound program.

Fun fact: Kathure has been scuba diving twice.
Personal goal: To travel to 50 countries.

This summer, she’s working as an Instrumentation Intermediary at ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge, LA. Outside of work, she’s been enjoying the opportunity to explore the South, try new foods, and spend time with friends.

Thank you, Kamila and Kathure, for your incredible contributions to the MEP community!

Last week, we were excited to host prospective transfer students from Wilbur Wright College for breakfast.

Students enjoyed breakfast, met with current MEP students and staff, and got a look into our community and opportunities here on campus.

Thank you to our visiting students and Wilbur Wright College staff for visiting!

Meet our MEP Welcome Committee!! 🧡💙

Montse is a Sophomore in Computer Science

What are your favorite things about MEP?
One of the aspects I truly value about MEP is its ability to unite individuals from diverse backgrounds, allowing me to develop meaningful connections that significantly enhance my personal and academic growth. The strong support system MEP provides empowers students, and the valuable relationships we build with the dedicated staff make a difference, as they consistently offer guidance and encouragement.

What are you involved with on campus?
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and Black, Indigenous, Latinos in Tech (B[U]ILT), ARISE Scholars Program, and Illinois Scholars Program

What is your favorite class that you have taken?
ENG 177 - Spatial Visualization