MENU About SHPE Students Professionals Support SHPE News & Blog MEMBER STORIES The Story of Sophia Plata Sophia aims to continue increasing Hispanic representation in academia. SHPE Marketing 10.6.2021 Share: Share Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn #SHPE4Life SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness. Join Donate Sign In College "I began my undergrad studies as a civil engineer. I had some exposure to that because my father was an architect. About halfway through, I took some classes in water and wastewater treatment and I really liked the application so I just got a minor in environmental engineering. Then I decided to pursue my PhD afterwards in environmental engineering studying water treatment." Graduate School "As teaching assistant I had a few students who were in SHPE and when they found out I was Latina, they invited me to participate in a student panel to let students know about life after undergraduate graduation and show them opportunities of graduate school." "Currently I am a visiting assistant professor of engineering at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. At Swarthmore I have the unique opportunity to educate engineering students within a liberal arts context. I teach courses related to environmental engineering and conduct research in the realm of the water-energy nexus. My research focuses on membrane processes and treatment schemes that can be used to overcome contaminant and energy challenges in water treatment. I also conduct research on the water reuse practices of the power industry and how it can be used to minimize water withdrawals." SHPE "I want to use my position as a faculty member and my expertise in environmental engineering to give back to my Hispanic community. Through SHPE, I am able to network and engage with like-minded faculty and professionals who want to give back through education, and I am also able to mentor students who want to better the environment for their community and future generations. The SHPE familia provides a rich network of skilled people who have a common mission of advancing Hispanics through STEM." "At the graduate level, being Latina, I very much felt like a unicorn. In some ways it felt good but in a lot of ways it didn’t. It was nice to find other people whose saw themselves as unicorns in those same space and that we were able to share that. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to successfully complete my PhD if it wasn't for SHPE. There were many times I wanted to quit but I didn't because of the people, the Familia that I have." Future "SHPE has done a really good job the past few years of increasing Hispanic representation at the undergraduate level. The next step in my mind is academics and having professors that are also Hispanic. The way that we do that is by graduating successful graduate students. I would love to be in a world where it's not uncommon for Hispanic students to be taught by a Hispanic professor. I was in college for 9 years and I never had a Hispanic professor and that's something I want to see change for future generations." Advice "Talk to as many people as you can, make as many connections as you can. You can’t have enough connections and I know networking is an overused word but it's true, you should do it. The people that you see here in your first conference, you are going to see them in your subsequent conferences and you’re going to become better and better friends and see each other move throughout your careers. You’re going to start off in school but then you’re going to graduate and then get a job and then you'll continue to see them afterwards." We can't wait to have you in our Familia. Joining SHPE marks the beginning of something great. You’re committing to your future, the future of our Hispanic community, and the future of STEM. Join Us New from SHPE SHPE NEWS Members of Congress Voice Their Support 11.15.2021 THOUGHTS FROM THE CHAIR November 2021 | The Right Choice at the Right Time 11.2.2021 SHPE NEWS SHPE Elevates Dr. Chris Wilkie to Chief Executive Officer 10.19.2021 CEO CORNER October 2021 | Adios y Muchas Gracias 10.19.2021 Join SHPE Donate Sign In About SHPE Media Kit Support SHPE Events & Conferences Contact Us Contact SHPE Email: shpenational@shpe.org Phone: 323.725.3970 13181 Crossroads Parkway North, Suite 220 City of Industry, CA 91746 Tax ID #: 72-1549994 Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Copyright 2021 SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) Privacy Policy Back to top