Grad Profile: Avery Mohn, E'24

Growing up surrounded by nature, recent graduate Avery Mohn always had a connection to the environment. She entered KU as an environmental studies major, but soon realized she needed something different.

“I’ve always been surrounded by animals and the outdoors,” Mohn said. “I was looking for more opportunities and somewhere I could find my niche. I think I found that in environmental and water resources.”

After her freshman year, Mohn transferred into civil engineering and got to work. A love for science runs deep in Mohn’s family, both her parents are alumni of KU and pursued careers in a science field. Mohn’s father teaches high school science, and her mother is a nurse practitioner.

At an early age, Mohn thought about becoming a veterinarian, but her blood ran crimson and blue.

“My mom said I’d have to go to K-State to be a vet and I started crying,” Mohn said with a laugh. “As I got older, I realized I didn’t think I could do all the funkiness of both medicine and veterinary school, but I do have a lot of respect for anyone in those fields.”

Instead, Mohn looked toward a career in water resource design. After her graduation, Mohn plans to join Olsson, an engineering firm located in Overland Park, as an assistant water resource engineer. Even from the beginning, Mohn could tell it was a good fit.

“I could tell that they were interested in me as a person and not just as an employee,” she said. “It just felt like a really good connection and my immediate supervisor did research with Dr. Admin Husic for two years so it’s nice to have those connections.”

Dr. Husic, who recently left KU to teach at Virginia Tech, was one of several professors who helped Mohn on her way toward graduation. Other professors like Drs. Ted Peltier and Josh Roundy helped bring real-world examples to life.

“I really appreciate a lot of my professors within the environmental department who gave me the ability to broaden my horizons beyond just the theory and aspects needed for exams,” she said.

These opportunities weren’t just limited to the classroom either. Thanks to the support of Dr. Husic, Mohn was able to travel with him to San Francisco for a conference where she was able to present her research on microplastics in a poster presentation. Earlier that year, she had presented her research at the Kansas Water Organizations Governors Conference in Manhattan, Kansas and took home the first-place prize for undergraduate research.

“It was kind of overwhelming to see everything that is part of the geosciences,” Mohn said of the San Francisco trip, “but I really enjoyed the experience.”

Mohn stayed busy throughout her entire undergraduate career, getting involved in the professional engineering fraternity Theta Tau her sophomore year. The fraternity brings together all types of engineers from across the School of Engineering, which Mohn enjoyed.

“Theta Tau can have anyone from computer science to aerospace to civil engineering,” she said. “I just liked to get that outside perspective and being able to meet people outside my major.”

Over the years, Mohn has served as fundraising chair, professional development chair and corresponding secretary where she connected current students with engineering alumni. For incoming freshmen or future transfer students, Mohn recommends going outside of your comfort zone and trying to find new opportunities for growth.

“Being outgoing can be hard, especially in engineering,” she said, “but just put yourself out there. Join different clubs and, if it’s not a good fit, then at least you can say you tried.”

Mohn also stresses the importance of maintaining a good balance between school and life. An avid movie watcher, she makes a point of regularly joining her film major friends for movie nights.

“Stick with people who inspire you creatively or artistically is definitely something that can help you get through the science and math-heavy portions of your schooling,” she said. “Find things that are more stimulating than just homework.”

As Mohn reflects on her time at KU, she credits the University and the Lawrence community for all aspects of her growth.

“This has been a good place to develop myself emotionally,” she said. “Lawrence is a great community to get to know who you are as a person.”