User:Mckenna wickers

About Me

I am an undergraduate engineering student at Duke University studying Mechanical Engineering and working towards my Aerospace certificate. I am from South Florida, Wellington specifically, and I love the beach. Some of my hobbies include reading, musical theater, anything craft-related, and singing. I am always up for new experiences, especially if they involve travel, the outdoors, or an adrenaline rush.

While at Duke, I hope to contribute to local and global engineering-related projects that make a real positive impact in various communities. I look forward to learning from the amazing staff and student body, as well as taking advantage of Duke's many interdisciplinary opportunities.

Making Solar Energy Economical

One of the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering is the challenge of making solar energy economical. As someone from South Florida, where solar power is fairly prominent, I have seen the potential for solar panels as a powerful renewable energy source. However, I also recognize how expensive they can be compared to traditional fossil fuel energy sources. I have included the article from the National Academy for Engineering on the challenge, Making Solar Energy Economical, as well as an interesting article about research out of Stanford that explores a material that can lower the cost of solar cells, "Inexpensive material could be the key to cheaper, more efficient solar cells", Mark Schwartz, Stanford Engineering, Jan. 20th, 2015, Accessed Sep. 24th, 2023 (Economical Solar Power).