Grad Spotlight: Rohan Luthra Blends Art, Science, and Service During Time in Evanston

Rohan Luthra experienced plenty during his time at Northwestern Engineering. In return, he also made sure to give back.

Graduating this month with a degree in materials science and engineering, Luthra served as co-president of the MatSci Club. He was also a peer adviser and peer leader, and still had time to compete as part of a five-member team in the 2024 Consortium for the Advancement of Shape Memory Alloy Research and Technology competition in Portugal, participate in the DAAD-RISE summer research program in Germany, and be interviewed for the MSE department's latest video (below). 

“I’ve been fortunate to have worked in the labs of so many different professors at Northwestern. I had many different graduate student mentors who helped me through the often frustrating but also rewarding research process,” Luthra said. “So many people are working on such impressive projects here, and it’s a privilege to hear about their progress and share space with them. I’m also grateful for the materials science department and MatSci Club, which have worked really hard to support a strong community where I very quickly felt at home.”

Luthra, who will pursue a PhD at the Colorado School of Mines studying extractive metallurgy, reflected on his time at the McCormick School of Engineering in a Q&A.

Why did you decide to pursue engineering at Northwestern?

During high school, I would go to a local pottery studio, where I met an art conservator who put me onto materials science and engineering as a cool way to blend art and chemistry. I was excited that Northwestern was on the quarter system so I’d be able to take lots of classes in other areas too.

How did the McCormick curriculum help build a balanced, whole-brain ecosystem around your studies in your major? Any course highlights you'd like to share?

Getting to have hands-on experience early on was super important for me to decide to stay with engineering. I had a wonderful time in the materials science first-year seminar, MAT_SCI 190: MSE Freshman Projects with Professor Vinayak Dravid, where we got to conduct our own research project on a scanning electron microscope. This continued for me in my materials science classes, which pretty much all had a lab component. I also have greatly appreciated the focus that so many of my classes have had on presentation, helping  me improve my communication skills.

What skills or knowledge did you learn in the undergraduate program that you think will stay with you for a lifetime?

I’ve definitely learned how to be a better team member and problem-solver. So many of the projects I’ve worked on have started from a place of not really knowing where to go and then needing to explore and experiment to find a way forward. Sometimes it just requires grinding it out, and other times someone else might have a great insight and we must change things up. So, I’ve learned how to adapt quickly and respond to changes.

What will you be pursuing at the Colorado School of Mines?

I’ll be researching new methods for recovering and recycling critical materials. Hopefully from there, I’ll be able to find work in industry to try to solve interesting problems in the supply chain and materials production world. I’d love to teach as well, but we’ll see where things go.

What advice do you have for current and future Northwestern Engineering students?

Trust and rely on your peers. I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to where I am now without all the help and long hours spent working with my classmates.

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of Q&As with graduating Northwestern Engineering students. Stay tuned for more reflections leading up to the June 16 Undergraduate Convocation.