UC January Engineer of the Month mentors fellow students

January Engineer of the Month Ryan Muir (chemical engineering ’19) is making the most of his experience at the University of Cincinnati. On top of completing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Muir is taking graduate courses in environmental engineering through the Accelerated Engineering Degree (ACCEND) program.

Muir, originally from Brunswick, Ohio, has always had an interest in chemistry. After spending all of his cooperative education rotations with chemical manufacturing company BASF, Muir narrowed this interest into systems design. Once graduated, Muir looks to become a process designer for either a large chemical company or a consulting firm, using his degrees to help design processes that are economically and environmentally sustainable. 

But Muir knows that not everyone’s path through college is this smooth. One of his biggest passions at UC is mentoring students who are unsure where they want to go in the engineering field.

“It’s important for me to help people who are just coming in and finding their way,” says Muir.

For more than three years, Muir has worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Department of Engineering Education. He assists first-year students with coursework but, at the same time, guides students toward their interests.

“I hope that by bringing some of my experiences into the classroom and by working with my students, I can help them find their direction and the path forward,” says Muir.