The This Engineering Life Mission:
This Engineering Life is a podcast hosted by Duke Professor Becky Simmons and Duke Undergrads. Together, they explore the lives of undergraduate engineers in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. Through interviews with students and also experts in the field, the This Engineering Life hosts explore a diverse range of topics from tenting to internships to diversity and more.
Our hope is to connect students, as well as provide insights, resources, and advice from peers and experts.
This Engineering Life Podcasters:
Dr. Rebecca Simmons, This Engineering Life Host & Faculty Sponsor
Rebecca Simmons is an Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University. She arrived as a freshman to Duke in 1996 and has never left; she completed both her B.S.E and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences. She teaches a variety of design courses and is passionate about helping her students build creative confidence, think outside of the box, and design their life with personal metrics of success. Her husband is also a mechanical engineer and both of her daughters are expressing interests in mechanical engineering and computer science. Dinner conversations in the Simmons’s house are unsurprisingly nerdy.
Polina Epshtein, Civil Engineering
Polina Epshtein is a Civil Engineering senior. She works at two on campus cafes and the on campus steakhouse. Outside of school and work she likes to knit and her latest project is a pair of striped socks. She’s interested in disaster relief and hopes to help and restore communities in the future.
Ellie Vogel, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Ellie Vogel is a Senior majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. She spent the summer interning at Microsoft as a Software Engineer, and has thoroughly enjoyed her computer engineering classes, specifically Digital Systems and Computer Architecture. Outside of school, she is on one of Duke’s many dance teams and is also a member of the Duke Ski and Board Club, where she acts as the club’s SHAPE representative. She looks forward to working with the amazing people of TEL, and can’t wait to hear what the guest speakers have to say this semester!
Brandon Wang, Mechanical Engineering
Brandon Wang is a masters student at Duke University planning to major in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently pursuing research in modular robotics with Dr. Boyuan Chen in his General Robotics Lab. Outside of school, you can see him playing volleyball on Abele Quad or trying out a new restaurant in Durham.
Malainey Potts, Civil Engineering
Malainey Potts is a junior majoring in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Structural Engineering and Mechanics. This past summer, she interned with Kimley-Horn in Sarasota, FL, in their Roadway division and will be returning in the summer of 2026. On campus, Malainey serves as the Engineering Student Government Director of Academic Affairs for Civil and Environmental Engineering and as a Resident Assistant in Keohane Quad. Outside of engineering, she enjoys singing, spending time with her bunny, and hanging out with friends.
Shirley Nadzua, Mechanical Engineering
Shirley Nadzua is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. On campus, she is a member of The Society of Women Engineers and serves as a TA for EGR101. She recently joined the Pratt E-team and is super excited to work with freshmen. Passionate about improving healthcare systems in marginalized countries and working with children, she spent a summer in Uganda through a Duke Engage project ,where she combined her interests on a smaller scale. She has a vision to continue integrating engineering solutions in healthcare in her career. Outside school work, she enjoys coloring, watching movies and animations
Hannah Lim, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Hannah Lim is a junior majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. She works as part of the Information Technology Help Desk staff at the LINK and as an Undergraduate Lab teaching assistant for Introduction to Microelectronic Devices and Circuits. She’s interested in a career in either Medical Devices or Firmware and is still deciding on the specific technical domain to study in electrical engineering. In her free time, Hannah likes to go to the gym, read, and hang out with her friends!
