Hello! My name is Bess Glenn, and I’m a junior at Lovett studying Chemical Engineering. I’m involved in Rice Women in STEM, Society of Women Engineers, Best Buddies, Rice Eclipse, and Cru. I also love talking to prospective Rice students as an Owl Guide through the Office of Admissions! A few of my other favorite things to do include baking, playing pickleball, going to cycling classes, and learning new tricks in Excel.  

One object I’m proud of making is the rudimentary bridge I built in eighth grade with balsa wood and hot glue. It’s the first thing I remember designing and building by myself (excluding Lego sets). The bridge didn’t hold much weight, but I still have a piece of it at home that serves as a fun reminder of my first engineering class. 

I think it would be cool to make a customized cooking device, such as a cutting board or rolling pin with unique engravings. I hope to learn how to use 3D printers in this class, since I’ve always found them fascinating but never studied how they work. More broadly, I hope EDES 210 teaches me more about the process of building complex objects using OEDK tools. Chemical engineering typically doesn’t emphasize the details of construction and machinery, so I’m excited to learn more about this side of engineering and hope it will help me become a more well-rounded engineer.