Ryland White
Student, Class of 2025
Hometown
Roseburg, Oregon
white_ryland

Extracurricular Activities

AEE club, D&D club, Campus Information Center Representative, Bite-size conversations

A Little Bit About Me

I grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, and graduated from Roseburg High. I spent six years serving in the Oregon Army National Guard, where I worked on communications equipment and security. I received three associate degrees from Lane Community College before transferring to Oregon Tech in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in renewable energy engineering. I'm currently trying to become involved with ASOIT (our student body government) for the 2023-24 school year, so I can represent the students and make Oregon Tech a better school and community to learn in. I hope my involvement will have a positive effect on students and staff at the school and that I can gain valuable experience that will enable me to help others throughout my career.

Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major

I chose Oregon Tech because I knew I wanted to work in renewable energy. When I searched for who offered such a degree, I found the perfect match for me at Oregon Institute of Technology. The hands-on experience, the location and environment of the campus, and the help I received from the administration when I asked about transferring were all things that enticed me to want to be a Hootie.

My Influential Professors

Dr. David Johnston is my physics professor. His class has taught me more about physics than I've ever learned in any other physics classes. I enjoy the learning environment so much that I plan to take extra courses that he teaches and declare a physics minor so that I can learn more about quantum mechanics and how our universe is put together. Dr. Scott Prahl is my circuits professor and he lectures the most difficult material I've ever attempted to learn. I have learned so much in his class and am constantly challenged to better myself and produce better work. I'm hoping to take his class on lasers and optics this summer.

My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech

My greatest learning experience at Oregon Tech has been circuits. It is the most difficult class sequence I've ever taken, but I have also learned more in my time there than I have in any other educational setting. I've learned how to use an oscilloscope and a function generator, and I've built an AM radio receiver and transmitter. I've also built a heartbeat monitor most recently. The class is both demanding and rewarding. I believe it is a stepping stone to my success in the future.

My Plans After Graduation

I plan to use my degree to work on renewables. I have a lot ahead to learn still, and I want to be more than just a cog in a machine. I want to do humanitarian work with my degree and make a difference in peoples' lives. The purpose of choosing renewable energy engineering was to do my part in the conservation of our planet, our society, and our children's future.