Cassidy M. Brozovich
Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering - Ecological Engineering
Warren, OH
2023 Distinguished Senior Award Recognition Reception Program (.pdf)
2023 Distinguished Senior Award Recipient Reception Poster (.pdf)
Cassidy Brozovich experienced her share of challenges during her distinguished undergraduate career. One early difficulty proved to be her most valuable learning experience—failing calculus her first semester at OSU. Cassidy reflected on the episode, “Despite everyone telling me that I would never make it as an engineer, I decided to keep pushing. While I did earn an ‘A’ the next time around, what was important was that I proved to myself that I am resilient, adaptable to my environment, and can be successful under pressure. I am no longer haunted by the fear of failure, but excited for the opportunity to push past my limit.” She would go on to push her own limits as a researcher under Drs. Ryan Winston and Jay Martin, evaluating the impacts of a watershed-scale green infrastructure project, Blueprint Columbus, on storm water volume, water quality, and other ecosystem services in the city. Her Honors Research Distinction thesis compares precipitation data from the Blueprint Columbus project to historic rainfall data to provide insights on the impact of climate change on weather patterns in central Ohio. Cassidy’s senior capstone team led by Dr. Peter Ling is designing an autonomous system to extract plant DNA for sequencing onboard the
International Space Station. Cassidy’s role focuses on the design of the sample processing module.
Involvement and leadership in student organizations offered Cassidy her greatest sense of accomplishment as an undergraduate. Rising through the ranks to become the first female President of Buckeye Precious Plastics, Cassidy led the club’s efforts to reduce plastic waste, create products from recycled plastic, and educate the campus community about plastic use and waste. She also advocated for improved diversity and inclusion for the club. She co-founded Diamond Grove Fellows, an organization focused on encouraging student involvement with space research. Cassidy reflected on her leadership in student organizations, sharing, “As one of the few females in engineering, I was initially having a hard time finding my place at OSU. I found myself looking up to female leadership within the college and decided to become a leader myself.”
As her mentor, Cassidy acknowledges Chris Tkach. Cassidy shares, “He is one of those professors who were meant for teaching, and he never turns down the opportunity to help a student. During my junior year, he had introduced me to the world of space research and inspired me to continue my education in FABE as a graduate student. He has spent countless hours helping me refine my engineering skills, while also teaching me about patience and perseverance. He not only made me feel seen in FABE, but he made me feel at home. I could never thank Chris enough for not only helping me as a current student but setting my future up for success.”
Cassidy plans to remain at CFAES to pursue her PhD under Dr. Peter Ling. Her graduate research will focus on the design of a 3D-printed substrate for hydroponic plant-growing operations in space through the upcoming Starlab project.
Service, involvement, and accolades: Buckeye Precious Plastic, president and other leadership roles | Quarter-Scale Tractor Team, secretary | American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, vice president | Diamond Grove Fellows, co-founder | Ecological Engineering Society