Chris Caruso '08

I graduated from Swarthmore in 2008 with a B.S. in Engineering. I started my time at Swat with only an idea that I wanted to do engineering, pursued EE through my sophomore year, then finally settled on Civil (Structural) Engineering in the beginning of my Junior year. After I graduated, I decided to pursue a Ph.D in Structures at UC Berkeley, which is where I am currently. I have recently decided the Ph.D is not for me and I will finish Berkeley with an M.S. in Structures and then continue on to Architecture School (hopefully).

Swarthmore Engineering was a very comprehensive experience and I have not felt in the slightest way that its perceived lack of topical focus has hurt me in my graduate studies. In fact, Swat's Engineering taught me fundamental problem solving skills that can be applied to anything you encounter, making you into a very effective learner and problem solver.

What I enjoyed most about Swat Engineering was the community. While I was there, Sam Garcia '08 and I completed our E90 Design Project by entering Swarthmore into the AISC/ASCE Student Steel Bridge Design Competition for the first time. With help from Prof. Siddiqui, Prof. Orthlieb, and Smitty, the enterprising Swat ASCE Student chapter helped us design, fabricate, and assemble our bridge in the competition, landing us 4th out of 9 in the region. Hopefully this year ('08 / '09) they will take home first and go to Nationals!

If you wish to contact me, you can do so through Professor Siddiqui.