Before Ryan Ward definitively declared a major, he attended a lecture on atmospheric chemistry by Environmental Engineering Sciences Emeritus Professor Joseph Delfino, Ph.D. After that lecture, he decided to pursue Environmental Engineering.

Ward continued to explore other fields within engineering and decided to double major in Civil and Environmental Engineering — earning two bachelor’s degrees in four years. Both departments from the Environmental School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment (ESSIE).

“There’s an overlap with Civil and Environmental and that was something that interested me,” Ward said.

“Ryan is a talented scholar with a brilliant brain and warm heart,” said Chang-Yu Wu, Ph.D., Department Head for Environmental Engineering Sciences. “Ryan, no doubt, is the top 1% of the undergraduate students I have ever taught.”

Currently, Ward is researching and measuring the toxicity of welding fumes to human cell culture based on in vitro cell exposure with Trevor Tilly, project lead and Environmental Engineering graduate student. They are hoping to get their findings published in the near future.

Ward credits his scholastic achievements to his peers and faculty.

“I’ve met a lot of really great people in both departments. They are some of the best people at this university,” Ward said.

After graduation, Ward will be attending the California Institute of Technology to study atmospheric chemistry and physics in Fall.