CECS Student Making a Positive Impact: Nisarg Hansaliya

Researchers in the field of social behavior  point out several characteristics of leaders who positively impact the lives of others and the work of their affiliated endeavors. They engage with people in open, mutually-beneficial ways. They invest time and energy not in what is, but in what can be. They embrace critique. They share what they know. They view the journey as a key element of the goal. The College is fortunate to have many student leaders who possess those qualities and use their time and energy to better the lives of their fellow students and CECS.  One of them is May 2017 graduation candidate, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering major, Nisarg Hansaliya.

A native of India, Nisarg enrolled as a freshman in the College in 2012, having learned of UTC and the Chattanooga community from a friend. A world traveler, sky and scuba diver in his spare time, he has contributed his time and leadership talents to a number of student organizations in the College.  As President of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AiChE), Nisarg has been an active member of the ChemE Car Team. He also serves as a member of the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, President of the UTC International Student Organization, a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council and a founding member of the College’s Student Ambassadors Organization. In Fall 2016, he led efforts to establish a volunteer tutoring program recruiting peer tutors, organizing schedules of peer-to-peer tutoring and overseeing the program operation. Academically, Nisarg has been on the Dean’s List multiple semesters, while working as a logistics intern with a regional wholesale supply firm.

Nisarg is currently exploring graduate school options with a long-term goal of work with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a charter organization of the United Nations. When asked about his experience in the College and at UTC he said, “The College’s  focus on professors’ direct involvement with students, undergraduate research opportunities, and the positive student/faculty ratio convince me that I made the right choice in coming to UTC.  I know that my educational preparation and experiences here will serve me well in the future.”