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E-mailNewsmaker: David Ricketts
David S. Ricketts
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Mike Wereschagin is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 412-320-7900 or via e-mail.
David S. Ricketts
Residence: Squirrel Hill
Age: 35
Education: Doctorate in engineering science from Harvard University, 2006. Master's and bachelor's degrees in engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1997 and 1995, respectively.
Occupation: Assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Noteworthy/Achievement: The National Academy of Engineering selected Ricketts and 48 other engineers to take part in a symposium last month dedicated to increasing the number of young people who pursue engineering careers. About 4.5 percent of U.S. college graduates earn engineering degrees, compared to about 12 percent of European graduates and 20 percent of Asian graduates. Ricketts is developing a virtual teaching tool that would allow students to see electromagnetic waves, providing a more intuitive — and less abstract — introduction to the science.
Quote: "Most of our students and young people are interested in making a difference in the world, socially or environmentally. Engineers create the technology that does that."
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