CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Engineering was a natural career path for Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) student Meredith Howell, fueled by her knack for math and science and her mother’s career as a chemical engineer. “I always thought I’d follow in her footsteps.”
Howell chose to begin her engineering degree at PSU-LV due to the close-knit community on campus and the small student-professor ratio.
“You receive more attention from professors being in the smaller classes,” said Howell. Additionally, the emerging Engineering: Design and Innovation degree program that recently launched on campus sparked her interest. “We’re growing here in the Lehigh Valley as a hub for engineering,” said Howell.
She commented on the flexibility of the Lehigh Valley campus when it comes to supporting engineering undergraduates and their desired area of focus. Students can complete their bachelor of science degree in engineering entirely at the Lehigh Valley campus and graduate with a focus on design and innovation from the Penn State College of Engineering. Additionally, students interested in other areas of engineering can participate in the 2+2 program, where they can complete foundational courses at PSU-LV and complete their degree at University Park or another Commonwealth Campus.
Howell participated in the Multi-Campus Undergraduate Research Experience for Undergraduates (MCREU) initiative this summer at University Park, to support her research interests within various aspects of the field. Her project, “Educating Through Storytelling: A Novel Approach to Engineering Education” focused on “analyzing student engagement and success when integrating storytelling and narrative into technical content.” Howell first analyzed and performed different teaching styles with a 1-sheet document. The control group focused on the engineering design process. The experimental group was exposed to a 1-sheet concept map lined with a timeline of the invention of the transistor.
Howell was one of one hundred students participating in MCREU from the College of Engineering and Earth and Mineral Science and one of six who received recognition.
“She’s taken advantage of every opportunity,” said Tracey Carbonetto, associate teaching professor of engineering at PSU-LV. Carbonetto commended Howell for her resilience and commitment to her interests, noting her student’s role as an embedded peer tutor for the physics labs where she will take part in a research study to determine the impact of providing access to a peer tutor during instruction.
Howell said she was empowered to make a lasting impact on the Lehigh Valley campus and started the first chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
“Our mission is to drive leadership and success for women in engineering and create a diverse environment,” she said.
Howell will continue her studies at University Park in the spring of 2026, where she plans to continue her journey with SWE. She said she intends to apply her skills to continuous improvement within the manufacturing industry and drive efficiency, innovation and meaningful change after graduation. Looking towards the future, Howell expressed there is much work to be done.
“I’m excited to see big things happening on the Lehigh Valley campus to reduce the gap for women in engineering," she said.
Penn State Lehigh Valley, established in 1912, combines over a century of academic excellence with personalized instruction and industry-connected faculty. Students can choose from 11 baccalaureate degrees or begin any of Penn State’s 275+ majors through the 2+2 program. With small class sizes and advanced learning technology, our modern campus prepares students for success in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. For more information on our Engineering program, visit lehighvalley.psu.edu/engineering-bs