Shatha Barq ’20, M’22, an electrical engineering and computer science double major, is continuing her education at the University of Hartford as she pursues her Master of Engineering in electrical and computer engineering. Barq is an international student from Jordan who discovered UHart from a fellow alumnus whom she attended high school within Jordan, as well as from her high school’s college counselor. Barq explains that the University of Hartford was the ideal choice for her because of the variety of programs offered across different schools and colleges. She was awarded the King Hussein Foundation Scholarship to study at UHart.
When she first started at UHart, Barq was undecided with an inclination towards biomedical engineering with future plans to attend medical school. However, after taking an engineering programming languages course her first year, she discovered a new love for coding and programming, and started looking into computer science. It was during her sophomore year when Barq joined a research project with Assistant Professor Hassan Salehi as a programmer. “At that time, the design process of electrical components was utterly interesting to me and I decided to combine my interest in both fields by studying electrical engineering, which heavily focuses on electricity and electronics and computer science,” she says.
Barq shares how much of a positive experience she’s had at UHart, allowing her to grow both professionally and personally. While she was still exploring the program that would be the best fit, faculty members at UHart made sure to take the time to address her questions and concerns. They also helped her greatly in her search for internships and in building valuable connections with professionals in her field. This experience has paved the way for her future career goals. “Before I came to UHart, I was unsure of the professional career I want for myself,” Barq says, “but after countless talks and discussions with many of my UHart professors, who were generous enough to share their experience and give advice, I have a clear vision of the next steps to take.”
Barq says the faculty member who helped her the most was Ying Yu, chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and associate professor. “I had countless discussions with Professor Yu about everything regarding my student career and job options,” Barq says. “Whether I was in Jordan needing advice on applying to internships or in the United States exploring new disciplines in electrical engineering, classes, or job opportunities, she was always there giving me advice relentlessly and suggesting solutions.” Barq credits Ying for helping her with on-campus employment and academic success, as Ying served as her technical advisor for her capstone project and as her academic advisor throughout her undergraduate and graduate programs. “I cannot thank Professor Yu enough for all the support she's been offering me the past few years."
Through her hard work and faculty guidance, Barq has established an impressive résumé. She completed three internships in Jordan during her undergraduate years. During the summer of 2018, she worked as an electrical engineer intern at NS Electromechanical Consultants, using AutoCAD software to design electrical grids for a hospital under construction. The following summer, Barq had two internships. She first returned to NS Electromechanical Consultants to work as a network engineering intern, helping to design wiring plans for buildings under construction, as well as troubleshoot network issues and manage server malfunctions. She then worked as a low-current system engineer intern at Consolidated Contractors Company, working on designing and estimating a budget for low-current systems, including fire alarm and CCTV security systems. She was trained by employees of well-known engineering and technology companies including Trained by Bosch, Honeywell, Cisco, and Microsoft.
Barq is currently working as a graduate assistant for the University of Hartford’s Graduate Admission Office, as well as serving as a teaching assistant for the physics department at UHart. Barq has been enjoying this experience on top of pursuing her Master of Engineering. Her choice to pursue her graduate degree right after completing her undergraduate program—and dive deeper into the areas of electrical and computer engineering—was the best option for her career goals. Along with expanding skills such as communication, responsibility, and problem-solving that she has learned already at UHart, Barq looks forward to polishing her specialized skills in these niche areas of engineering.
Shatha Barq ’20, M’22, electrical engineering and computer science double major, pursing Master of Engineering in electrical and computer engineeringI was exceptionally excited to attend UHart as an international student for its diverse and supportive community. I always felt welcomed on campus and encouraged to take part. As an undecided student in my first year, I comfortably explored many of the engineering and technological majors with the help of CETA faculty to find the perfect fit.