Eloise Gibby, Civil Engineering, Class of 2016

There once was a time when Eloise Gibby struggled mightily with math. But now Gibby, who is graduating with a BS in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering, will be delivering the College of Engineering's December student commencement address.

"I just couldn't accept that there was a logic out there greater than my own logic," the Glenside resident says regarding her math woes. Her turnaround, which began when the then liberal arts major earned an A in a remedial algebra course at the Community College of Philadelphia, became so complete that she decided to pursue an engineering degree at Temple. Why her environmental focus? "I am really passionate about the issues surrounding the human environmental impact on the earth, so I wanted my career to benefit everyone," she explains.

While at Temple, Gibby also has served as a teaching assistant in introduction to engineering and introduction to mathematics classes—where she helped students wrestling with trigonometry, calculus and algebra. "Being able to help other students learn skills that I'd had a lot of trouble learning was really rewarding," says the dean's list student.

Another one of her seminal experiences was joining the American Society of Civil Engineers' Young Member Forum. The group's members, who are 35 years of age and younger, strengthened her confidence in applying for internships at engineering firms. She also volunteered twice with the forum's Girls Exploring Tomorrow's Technology Expo, which encourages young girls to enjoy science.

Also, thanks to the forum, for the past two years Gibby interned with the Philadelphia office of Greeley and Hansen, a national environmental engineering firm. Her duties included working on water and wastewater projects for clients that included New York City, a New Jersey sewerage commission and the Philadelphia Water Department.

One of her major assignments, which she will continue as a project engineer with the firm, is working on a 20-year plan to lessen the impact of storm water and sewerage overflows for a local wastewater treatment facility. "It has been really meaningful for me and I think it's making a real impact on the community," she says.