Savannah Roth of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is graduating from the Herbert College of Agriculture with a Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering. The “infectious” Volunteer Spirit found throughout the UTIA campus made Herbert a special place for her to call home for the last four years.
How would you describe your experience in the Herbert College of Agriculture?
Life-changing. If you told senior-year of high school me that I would be graduating as a Biosystems Engineer, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s all due to the amazing support system that Herbert has. I have never felt like I didn’t have someone to rely on or the resources to succeed. Every single person I have met on campus (whether student, faculty or staff) has always been willing to help with a smile on their face. That Volunteer attitude is so infectious, even the families who I give tours around campus feel it. It makes our college so special and makes me proud to soon be a Hebert grad.
What was your favorite class and/or who is your favorite professor?
Dr. Yoder by far has been the most influential person I have ever met and I have been fortunate to have had him as a professor, advisor and overall mentor. Before I even arrived at UT, I had reached out to Dr. Yoder as I was completely unsure what my future plans and degree would be. He dropped everything and called me that day. We spoke for almost an hour, and I knew after talking to him that Herbert was going to be my home for the next four years.
Since then, he has continued to embody the Volunteer Spirit. Whether he was guiding our senior design project or mentoring us on the ethics of engineering, he supported us all to become the best biosystems engineers that we could be. I know the past four years would have gone in such a different direction if it wasn’t for him.
What is one of your favorite memories during your time at UT?
Definitely my trip to the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Southeastern Rally this past spring! Being able to go on the trip with 13 other biosystems engineers and represent UT to dozens of other schools was incredibly special. From the hours of fundraising and planning before to the trip itself, it really created a sense of community in our department and made us all closer to each other. It was a wonderful way to end my senior year.
How has being a Herbert student impacted your life?
Before I came to Herbert, I had almost no exposure to agriculture and had no idea the wide breadth of fields there are in it. Herbert gave me so many opportunities to explore these and I dove right in. Starting as just a freshman, I was very fortunate to be selected as a part of the Herbert Scholars program. I was able to fully engage in a hands-on summer internship with the USDA NRCS without the burden of personal financial obligation, which was so beneficial especially being as it was the summer of 2020.
This kickstarted my love for extension work and led me to becoming even more involved on campus. As the rest of undergrad went on, I was able to do research, more internships, outreach work at local schools, and truly bond with my peers through a variety of clubs. All these opportunities wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Herbert! I have absolutely grown to love everything ag-related.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I am excited to continue my academic journey at North Carolina State University in the fall! I will be pursuing a Master’s in Biological and Agricultural Engineering with a research project focused on developing autonomous stormwater ponds for communities in Wilson, NC. I hope to eventually get my Ph.D. and become a professor at a land-grant university who has a heavy focus on extension!
