Hart receives George Washington Prize

Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate senior Katie Hart has recently been honored with the 2024 George Washington Prize. Established for undergraduate seniors in the College of Engineering at CMU, the George Washington Prize recognizes individuals who demonstrate academic excellence, commitment to service and leadership. Named after the first president of the United States, who was also an engineer, this prestigious award reflects Hart's outstanding achievements.

Katie Hart, pursuing a double major in Engineering & Public Policy and Civil & Environmental Engineering, explained her attraction to EPP. She sought to complement the technical knowledge gained through her environmental engineering degree with an understanding of the social and political systems intertwined with technology. The intersection of engineering and public policy is a focal point in Hart's career aspirations, particularly concerning the clean energy transition.

Reflecting on her academic journey, Hart highlighted a transformative experience during her freshman year in the course "Engineering and Social Justice." She stated, “The class involved a lot of reading and discussion, which prepared me for other courses [at CMU]. That class changed my mindset and set me up to consider how any engineering project that I have discussed or worked on in class or internships impacts people.”

Hart's summer research assistant role with Destenie Nock, Assistant Professor in EPP and CEE, and Teagan Goforth, PhD Candidate in EPP, significantly influenced her academic and career path within EPP. She shared, “[During that summer] I researched energy decarbonization scenarios, and working with Dr. Nock and Teagan inspired me to continue to pursue energy in classes and internships. Talking with and learning from them led me to my current career path, as I hope to help develop clean energy policy.”

Looking ahead, after graduating in May, Hart plans to pursue a master’s program in energy engineering.