One of our top priorities at U of I is establishing sustainable practices in our university operations. While we are improving in this area, students like Bishal Thapa are on the leading edge of moving our planet toward sustainability. Bishal was one of our 596 graduates who walked the stage at Winter Commencement last week. He arrived from Jharuwarashi, Nepal, in 2015 with a plan to immerse himself in school, community and research. Five and a half years later, Bishal’s list of honors and achievements show he is ready to make a difference in his degree fields of biological engineering and agricultural education. As a freshman, he started lingering in professor Kasee Smith’s classroom, volunteering for any tasks she could offer him and trying to gain research experience. In the years since, Bishal honed his research skills. He received more than $20,000 in research funding and had three papers published. He received the Alumni Award for Excellence, the DeVlieg Scholar Award for Engineering, the Silver Lance Honorary/Outstanding Junior Award and was a three-time Grand Challenge Scholar Pitch event winner. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program helped Bishal focus his research, while embracing one of the broad challenges set forth by the National Academy of Engineering – managing the nitrogen cycle. He’s explored eco-friendly fertilizer production processes using plasma reactor technology. “I think everything I did as an undergraduate was encompassed by the Grand Challenge Scholar Program,” Bishal said. “It’s helped me be the scholar that I wanted to be. It’s definitely been a highlight in my career.” In addition to his lab experience, Bishal spent a semester as a student-teacher at American Falls High School and he cherished the experience. “It was life changing,” Bishal said. Next up is graduate school, and Bishal once again aimed high. He applied to University of California, Berkeley; MIT; Princeton; Stanford; and University of Wisconsin. Along with his research into sustainable agriculture, he’d like to continue teaching, raising the next generation of scientists and researchers to explore efficient and ecologically sound means of production. Congratulations to Bishal, and all of our Winter 2021 graduates! I wish our Vandal Family a happy holiday season and look forward to all that we’ll accomplish together in 2022. |