Somewhere between grade school, where math was Uriel Clark’s favorite subject, and his senior year at Rowan University, there came a moment when he made the connection that math can save lives.
An engineering student and recipient of a scholarship funded by Armand Corporation, Uriel is contributing to an analysis and modeling system to better predict the impact of storms at the New Jersey shore. The project has pointed him toward the field of disaster recovery, a career that offers a special level of job satisfaction when your work prepares communities and regions to brace for a storm.
“You can see when the storm will strike, and the weak areas and strong areas where it will impact,” he said at a recent visit to Armand’s New Jersey office. “You can help people in those areas be more prepared with their insurance, with the right supplies, knowing when to evacuate.”
A high school teacher pointed out that engineering is a great field for a math whiz. It was his mom who saw the connection between an aptitude for math and Rowan’s reputation as a top engineering school, and she encouraged her son to apply.
Uriel is one of six children and in May he will become a first-generation college graduate. As he moved through the program, his professors at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ, saw something special.
“We have engineering clinics junior and senior year, working under a professor,” Uriel explained. “We were doing analysis on bridges and what would happen during hurricanes. After a semester of that, I learned that it was part of a larger project and a professor asked if I’d be interested in joining.”
When he graduates, Uriel’s resume will feature his contributions to NJ Flood Alert, the web-based computer modeling system that is, for now, focused on New Jersey’s shore communities.
“I’ve learned how important the field of disaster recovery is,” he said. “I have an interest in it and feel the need to work in it and contribute to helping people stay safe in a storm.”
(Photo: Armand Project Manager Eli Parker congratulates scholarship winner Uriel Clark)
