Madeline Shunk, ECE ‘22
“I am a Research Computer Engineer with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). My area of expertise is control system cybersecurity and I am the lab lead for the Control System Test Lab here at CERL. I started at CERL as an intern in 2020 and joined on as a junior researcher after graduation. In 2024, I was promoted to senior researcher where I lead research projects which impact control system cybersecurity in the Department of Defense (DoD). I also regularly speak at conferences and give tours to VIPs to promote my work.
During my time at UIUC, I was the UA for the 120 section of ECE 199 for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. I was also the ECESAC academic chair for the 2021-2022 school year. Both of these opportunities were eye opening for me. I discovered a love for teaching and mentoring that has helped me blossom in my professional career. Those, and many other opportunities, would not have been possible if it hadn’t been for the amazing support of the women around me and the wider Grainger community. My advice for students is to take some time to really think about what is important for you professionally and personally. What goals do you have, not just for your career, but for your life? How does a prospective job align with those goals? Consider your time off, your benefits, the flexibility. Never devalue your time and your happiness.”