Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Physics

• Graduation Year: 2015

Following his 2015 graduation from the University of Evansville, Darwin Cordovilla began his pursuit of a PhD in applied physics at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He received the National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate research fellowship and the University of Michigan Graduate Merit Fellowship.

While at UE, Darwin enjoyed his Honors course work, particularly the opportunity to contract courses where he could do extra projects about topics he was interested in that were not normally covered in class.

Darwin credits the UE Honors Program for providing an advantage during his application process for graduate school. Not only did participation in the program set him apart from other applicants, but it also gave him the opportunity to do research for his Honors project. Darwin describes, “Being part of the Honors Program enabled me to prepare for graduate school by getting involved in a research project that later became my Honors project. This experience made me a more competitive applicant for graduate school because not only was I able to gain research experience, but I was also able to travel to a conference at Harvard to present my findings thanks to the support of the Honors Program.”

In the future, Darwin plans to pursue a career in research, perhaps in a government national laboratory or as a faculty member at a research institution.