Chris Markovich has always had a passion for engineering. In fact, he’s been so involved in Purdue University Calumet’s electrical engineering program that after just three years of study, he will earn his baccalaureate degree Saturday (5/9—3 p.m.).
Markovich, 21, then will continue his education this fall in a Ph.D. electrical engineering program at the University of Notre Dame.
“I have always had an interest in how things work,” the Munster resident said. “I would frequently take things apart when they broke to see what was inside and then think about how I could make them better.”
Interest in science, robots in high school
As a Munster High School student, he was involved with the robotics team and Science Olympiad.
“My mom and dad volunteered to start a robotics program in the Munster school system when I was in fifth grade,” Markovich, whose younger sister also is studying electrical engineering at Purdue Calumet, said.
As a high school freshman, Markovich got involved with the Purdue Calumet Water Institute, co-authoring a publication under the guidance of Director, Department Head and Professor of Mechanical Engineering George Nnanna. During his high school senior year, Markovich met Purdue Calumet Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Constantin Apostoaia, who invited him to visit campus laboratory sessions. Eventually, after enrolling at Purdue Calumet, Markovich became Apostoaia’s laboratory assistant.
“The strong work ethic and dependability he demonstrated as a lab aid/instructor and student in many of my classes made him someone I could depend on to teach lab,” Apostoaia said.
Markovich said he chose to attend Purdue Calumet because of the smaller class sizes and the opportunity for more one on one time with professors.
Networking with faculty
“The networking I’ve had with faculty members has been very beneficial for me,” he said.
During his three years at Purdue Calumet, he has assisted high school student members of the Hammond robotics team, participated with the campus’ Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers student organization and served on the Academic Quality Improvement Program Institutional Leadership Committee of Purdue University Calumet. He also is an enrollee of the university’s Honors College.
“Chris has contributed to the Honors College in numerous ways,” John Rowan, professor and Honors College dean, said, “including being a member of the Student Executive Board and helping us organize the regional Science Olympiad competition this year.
Rowan added that Markovich received the Honors College award for Outstanding Volunteer Work in 2014 and has been heavily engaged in undergraduate research.
Research opportunities
“I was able to do research as a freshman and sophomore, unlike some universities where you have to wait until graduate school,” Markovich said.
During the 2014-15 academic year, he has worked with classmates on two research projects—one relating to robotic football; the other, on development of cognitive training software,
As for his robotic football project—an 8-on-8 game of robots played on a field about the size of a basketball court—“My project focused on designing an effective receiver system that could track the football in the air and improve its ability to catch the ball,” he said.
The cognitive training software project has entailed studying brain activity and related memory by monitoring signals transmitted through a headset.
More engaged learning
Markovich also has found time to assist Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Donald Gary on textbook revisions and the redesign of an engineering lab with Apostoaia.
Before he heads to graduate school, Markovich will intern this summer with Arris Group Inc., a telecommunications equipment manufacturing company.
“I am always interested in learning more,” he said, “and applying it to other classes or projects to see how things relate to each other in helping solve complicated problems.”