Blake Larson, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2016

 

It took a while for Blake Larson to find his niche. After graduating from high school in Severn, Md., 11 years ago, he worked as a photographer and photographer's assistant shooting everything from architectural buildings to punk bands. He even made pizza.

 

But then, after moving to Philadelphia, he became interested in the impact on the environment of energy-related carbon releases. Engineering, specifically engineering at Temple, seemed to be the best way to tackle it.

"Initially I was focused on renewable energy, and that is the long-term future," says Larson, who in December will earn a BS in mechanical engineering with an energy systems concentration. "But in the meantime, I realized a lot could be done by enabling fossil-fuel energy to be used as judiciously as possible." Since last February, that has been one of his focuses as a mechanical engineering intern with Philadelphia's NORR Design Inc. One of his duties: developing commercial construction building energy models for LEED green certification applications.

"Long term, my goal is to reduce carbon emissions by pursuing a career in either power generation or building systems," says Larson, a dean's list student who is weighing continuing with NORR against several employment options. "The mechanical systems to heat and cool buildings and what each building's envelope—the walls and windows—are made of, all effect the amount of energy used."

For three years, Larson also promoted bicycling as the coordinator of the university Office of Sustainability's Bike Temple program. Under a university Creative Arts, Research and Scholarship Grant, he researched the development of a low-cost, bicycle-mounted ultrasonic distance sensor to help gauge safe distances between city bicyclists and motorists.

He also was the team leader and thermal envelope designer for his senior design team, which collaborated with architecture students to design and build a solar-powered, tiny 160-square-foot house at Temple's community garden.

"What I've learned at Temple about engineering and physics has fundamentally changed the way I see the world," says Larson. "It's made me very analytical. When I run into a problem I think about how I can break it into small problems until they are something I can handle."