Emily Lattanzio is a member of HPU’s inaugural class of engineering graduates and the first woman to receive her engineering degree from HPU.
Emily Lattanzio has accomplished a lot of firsts.
In May 2023, she was a member of the High Point University’s first class of engineering graduates and the first woman to complete the program. She was also at the top of her class.
Four years ago, she was unsure of her major when she came from Oyster Bay, New York. But she found all the right connections after she plugged into HPU’s Webb School of Engineering.
There, she met a trailblazer in her own right – Dr. Claire McCullough, Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computing Engineering. McCullough, a licensed professional engineer, was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Together, the inaugural cohort of engineering students and their professors pioneered something new on campus – the opportunity for themselves and future engineering students to flourish.
Lattanzio did. Her next step is to pursue her Master of Science degree in computer engineering at Clemson University.
“I have always believed that every day we must choose to be the best version of ourselves,” said Lattanzio. “Coming to HPU, with its Choose to be Extraordinary call to action, I knew I had found a place that held similar values.”
Lattanzio gained hands-on experience by participating in two summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) funded by the National Science Foundation. Her first summer research project was at the University of Missouri and her second was at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Those experiences resulted in her achieving three publications, one of which she was a first author for the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a professional association for electrical engineering, electronics engineering and related disciplines.
Unmatched Mentorship
Many resources helped Lattanzio build her future.
“The Office of Career and Professional Development helped me figure out that engineering was the best path for me,” said Lattanzio. “Since then, I haven’t looked back and have loved my time here at HPU.”
When it comes to professors, McCullough had a positive, lasting impact on Lattanzio’s future.
“She is the first person I spoke to about switching into the engineering program during my freshman year,” said Lattanzio. “I had her as my professor for at least five classes since then, and in each one she has pushed me to be the best student I could be. She has been my mentor in this difficult field, and I know she supports me in all my endeavors.”
McCullough said she would recommend Lattanzio for literally anything she wants to achieve.
“I have been teaching engineering students for more than 30 years, and Emily is absolutely one of the best students I have ever had, at any level and at any university,” said McCullough. “Emily has the potential to be an outstanding engineer, and I have no doubt she will also excel in the Ph.D. program, which I have strongly encouraged her to pursue.
“Being in the first graduating class of any type of engineering at HPU, the first female to graduate and at the top of the class – is that not the epitome of a trailblazer?”
Working with the Creator of the Personal Computer
Getting to know Apple Computer Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, starting in her freshman year, offered another unmatched connection, Lattanzio said.
Wozniak serves as HPU’s Innovator in Residence, regularly working with students in all majors including engineers. He’s also a member of the Webb School of Engineering’s advisory board.
“It was always great meeting someone who is so knowledgeable in my field and has had so much success,” said Lattanzio. “I got to learn about his passions for technology design and how his love of engineering has shaped his life. He is also so knowledgeable about the current limits of computer processing, and it was great discussing with him where we think we will see developments in the future.”
High-Level Facilities and Research
Lattanzio said she loved working in HPU’s state-of-the-art labs while on campus.
“From our circuits/electronics labs to the Maker Space, the Webb School of Engineering has so many great pieces of equipment that not all schools have,” she said. “From my sophomore year, I was learning how to use multimeters and oscilloscopes to analyze the circuits that I built. The labs here allowed me to have many hands-on experiences, which really helped me learn the applications of the content I was taught in class.”
In addition to presenting her research at the 13th International Green and Sustainable Computing Conference and the IEEE 19th Annual Consumer Communications & Networking Conference in 2022, Lattanzio worked alongside two classmates in a year-long capstone project to build an electronics system for a smart walker to relay an alert if a person with disabilities experiences a fall. That’s just one example of how she has used her expertise to help others.
“My engineering classes taught me all about the field that I was interested in, and my honors classes taught me new ways to think about the world,” said Lattanzio. “These two programs really shaped my entire college experience. They allowed me to meet people who were just as studious as me and who shared similar interests, and some of them have become my absolute best friends.”
Lattanzio said she thinks the life skills, values and virtues she developed at HPU helped prepare her for long-term success.