Jill Manapat spends most of her days in the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Department of the University of the Philippines where she’s a current coordinator of the BS Materials Engineering Program. But what exactly is Materials Engineering? And why is Jill so passionate about the said field?
Purdue University describes the field of Materials Science and Engineering as the study of “the properties of the material that gives it value.” Graduates of Materials Engineering commonly have the opportunities to work for companies in the departments of quality assurance, research and development, etc. But some graduates, such as Jill, opt to work in academe.
Jill’s goal is to “establish a culture among the new generation of Filipino engineers to do relevant & practical engineering research projects,” a vision that she promotes through her various advocacies in the form of student projects and events.
Photos of Jill’s projects from her website
Jill has been involved with many STEM-related events, including Makers Show UP (University of the Philippines), an event that allows tinkerers and creators alike to celebrate various inventions.
Another one of her advocacies is the Humanitarian Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Design (HEED) organization of UP. HEED held a conference last July 17 to promote the field of humanitarian engineering through a series of talks and activities.
What Jill can teach young inventors everywhere is that there are multiple ways to pursue a career in engineering. With a field so diverse and multifaceted, engineers are tasked to problem-solve using interdisciplinary techniques.
Jill’s work in the academe coupled with her event advocacies can inspire young innovators everywhere to share their love of learning, one invention at a time.
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The author, Audrey Pe, is an incoming high school junior from the Philippines. Passionate about startups, programming, and women empowerment, Audrey advocates for more women in tech through this blog. She wishes for people to read her interviews, be inspired to pursue careers in the field of tech, and support women in tech everywhere.
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