Student Spotlight: Ruth Willet

Ruth grew up in Virginia and Georgia and earned a dual degree in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Acoustics at Kettering University. She moved to State College in 2022 to continue her studies at Penn State. Outside of her research, Ruth has many passions: she enjoys amateur radio (call sign KM4LAO), kickboxing, running, weightlifting, singing with the State College Choral Society, and spending time with her cat, Pattycake. She also has a deep love for all kinds of music.

Ruth holds leadership roles in multiple student organizations. She serves as Vice President and Treasurer of the Penn State Student Chapter of the Acoustical Society of America and as Event Planner and Treasurer for the Amateur Radio Club (K3CR). Through these roles, she mentors students in topics like sound, vibration, and radio technologies, and helps organize outreach events that build community around STEM topics. Off-campus, she serves as Assistant Director for Youth On The Air (YOTA), where she helps coordinate a week-long summer camp each year that unites young radio operators across the Americas to explore topics like antenna building, satellite communication, and even contacting the International Space Station.

This summer, Ruth is excited to deepen her knowledge of machine learning as she begins to define her full dissertation project. She’s also looking forward to connecting with more PIPELINE students, especially once the semester ends and she can focus fully on research. Ruth sees PIPELINE as a key step toward her goal of working in cutting-edge government or private consulting roles after completing her PhD. She values the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, expand her professional network, and learn how machine learning can help solve real-world problems in the field of acoustics.