Colin Wall

Colin Wall has a true passion for both mechanical engineering and aerospace. He is currently a senior mechanical engineering major with a concentration in aerospace who has the intention of going to graduate school to receive both his master’s and doctorate degrees.

“I plan to eventually become a professor and teach the same classes that I have enjoyed in my time as an undergraduate student,” he revealed.

Majoring in mechanical engineering was an easy decision for Wall since he wanted a versatile major, while his concentration in aerospace targeted his specific interests.

He explained, “I grew up enjoying space, spaceship rockets and all that kind of stuff, but even in my experience with things such as vibrations, analysis and data acquisition, I feel that I have definitely found the right concentration for me.”

He highlights the entire mechanical engineering department as being one of the best aspects of his major.

“I really appreciate all of their support,” he recognized. “Those professors definitely stand out to me very much as people who are willing to help you.”  

With that support, Wall has immersed himself in the Tennessee Tech community. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi Honors Society, Pi Tau Sigma – the International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, and has worked in the physics department as a lab teaching assistant, the library as a tutor and the College of Engineering as a physics supplemental instructor.

“I’ve gotten a lot of access to being in the classroom in more of a forefront stand, having experience with things such as grading, gathering material, hosting sessions and communicating with other students in order to hopefully give me better advantage and more experience towards when I plan to become a professor,” he said.

He also is completing undergraduate research for Associate Professor Steve Anton on the construction of the Ashraf Islam Engineering Building.

“With Dr. Anton, I will be assisting his graduate student, specifically Andrew Gothard, in getting some analysis together to make sure that those accelerometers and those sensors in the building are accurate and that we can use them successfully for future undergraduate testing,” he described.

More than academics, Wall is a member of the Japanese Club, which opened the door to study abroad for a semester in Tokyo, Japan.

“I was fortunate enough to spend the spring semester of 2023 in Tokyo, Japan,” Wall reminisced. “I went over there in late March and was there until end of July, and I was able to take an intensive course in Japanese.”

Through his experience, he expressed that college is the place to explore and learn more about yourself.

“It’s okay to make changes—this is the perfect time,” he affirmed. “I would emphasize trying out new things and whenever you find the sort of thing that you enjoy, you’ll know it.”

Wall also advises other mechanical engineering majors with concentrations in aerospace.

Wall encouraged, “[The early classes] might feel like stuff that you are just trying to get through, but the long-term opportunities that you will have as you continue on, I would argue, are worth it.”