Making Life Better
Biological Engineering Major
North Carolina native Jessica Buday picked UGA so she could stay in the Southeast. Ironically, her choice has sent her globetrotting to East Africa on more than one occasion. In 2006, she participated in the UGA-Tunisia Educational Partnership which allows students and faculty to share experiences of service and outreach to motivate Tunisian students to create their own community service projects. The following summer, she spent eight weeks in Uganda developing a milk cooling system for rural dairy farmers who have no access to electricity.
Along the way, Buday has been awarded several scholarships from the college and the biological and agricultural engineering department. She was a founding member of the Society of Women Engineers, held officer positions with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers student chapter and is a 2006 graduate of Leadership UGA.
Jessica's Student Profile
Name: Jessica Buday
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Estimated semester/year of graduation: December 2008
Major: Biological Engineering
Q&A with Jessica
What made you choose to attend UGA?
I was interested in living somewhere new, but staying in the Southeast. I hadn't decided on a major prior to orientation, so UGA was a great choice since it has strong programs in just about every field. Although I didn't investigate the engineering program until I got here, I am so glad I found it!
How many times have you changed your major? What made you settle on your current major?
Once, during freshman orientation. Engineering is such an interdisciplinary major that it allows you to pursue your specific interests while developing a broad knowledge base.
What exposure did you have to agriculture before coming to CAES?
I attended a rural high school with the largest FFA chapter in North Carolina.
What's your favorite class and why?
PHIL1000: It worked out my brain in a different way than my engineering classes did. But the struggle was totally worth the insight I gained.
What's one thing you're always sure to take to class?
Water. Dehydration makes you tired and nobody wants to fall asleep in class!
Which instructor at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has been the most influential?
Dr. William Kisaalita, B.A.E. graduate coordinator. Not only did he make my trip to Uganda possible, but he has advised and mentored me on my future plans for graduate school and my career.
What's the most important thing you've learned this year?
That learning and education most often takes place outside the classroom.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Working on a Ph.D. in biological and/or chemical engineering. Hopefully I'll be done with school and out there implementing the new technologies in energy and biotechnology that are sure to be a part of my generation's legacy.
What's the strangest or coolest thing that's happened to you at UGA?
Living in Uganda for eight weeks. As part of a research experience for undergraduates that is funded by the National Science Foundation, three other students and myself collaborated with the agricultural engineering department at Makerere University in Kampala as part of the ongoing development of a milk cooling system that does''t use electricity. In addition to the advances we made with the research, we became immersed in a completely different culture. Although it was difficult dealing with homesickness, minor illnesses, and other inconveniences that come with living in a third world country, it has definitely been the most rewarding experience of my life so far. The safaris and white-water rafting on the Nile River weren't bad either. I advise everyone to travel and seek to understand our world.
What do you do when you're not in class?
I cook meals for my roommates and friends. I considered culinary school when applying to colleges, but now I just use it as a creative outlet. I also enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction books, trying to keep up with the news, getting lost on Wikipedia looking up random information, enjoying live music at local venues and discovering new bands and spending time with my family when I can get to North Carolina.
Best advice for incoming freshmen:
Get involved! You never know who will meet or what doors might open.
More about Jessica
Favorite musician: Ben Harper
Favorite book: The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
Favorite sport: Basketball
Favorite thing to do on campus: Grab a Red & Black or Flagpole and catch up on Athens activities. Meet graduate students and pick their brains about life after undergraduate. Meet freshmen and get them excited and motivated about all the opportunities that lay ahead of them. Bond with other engineering students at club meetings.
Favorite place to study: Driftmier Engineering Center student lounge. You can always find study help, or at least someone else who is struggling just like you. I learn much better when I study with others.
Favorite place to eat in Athens: Utage or Shokitini. I love sushi!