Penn State Behrend’s class of 2022 is ready to make its mark on the world!  We’re proud of our students and the things they’ve accomplished and learned while here at Behrend. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be introducing you to a few of our remarkable seniors who have overcome challenges, pioneered new technology, participated in important research projects, and left an impression at Penn State Behrend.

Today, we’d like you to meet Alison Huffman

Major: Computer Engineering with a minor in Music Technology

Hometown: Scottdale, Pennsylvania

Scholarships: Nishi Gupta Scholarship in Engineering, Behrend Excellence Award, Council of Fellows Leadership Scholarship, Intel Scholar

On choosing Behrend: I chose Behrend because of its phenomenal engineering program and the opportunity to play Division III athletics. I was on the soccer team my freshman year.

On choosing her major: I have always been interested in programming and electronics, specifically with video game design when I was younger. As I approached college, I really wanted to learn about audio products and signal processing in addition to gaining a general understanding of electronics and computers. This led me to choose computer engineering.

Campus involvement: I am the worship leader and weekly meeting team leader for Cru, the vice president of the Computer Engineering Club, the vice president of the Society of Women Engineers, and a member of Tau Beta Pi.

People would be surprised to know: My biggest passion in life is music. I play multiple instruments (drums are my favorite), and I lead worship at two churches in the Erie area. I also co-wrote and co-produced a worship album called “For Your Glory that’s available on Spotify.” Additionally, I love combining my love of engineering with my love of music to better understand how audio works on both the hardware and software sides, so a lot of my school projects were centered around that.

Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Besides the worship album, I completed a project through the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at University Park that displays data about virology through art, light, and sound. It is a structure mounted to the wall with an interface in front of it for users to interact with and trigger videos and audio. I designed and assembled the interface, and I also created the audio using music programing. The structure was installed at University Park in the spring of 2022.

Advice for first-year students: Don’t be afraid to get involved with clubs and events on campus and get involved early! I met some of my best friends through the clubs in which I am involved, and the clubs have given me great opportunities for leadership, as well.

After graduation, Alison will be working for Northrop Grumman in Melbourne, Florida, as a software engineer in their aeronautics division.