Learning to deal with problems is one of the biggest things Kevin Baldridge has learned so far as a college student. “Definitely, the most helpful thing at UK is learning how to solve problems,” he says. “My professors have taught me how to look at a problem from different angles to find the most effective solution.”

A chemical engineering major in the class of 2011, Baldridge also values the research opportunities he has received. “My best experiences at UK have been the many opportunities I’ve had as part of undergraduate research,” he says. In 2009 he took part in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, where he worked with faculty and other top students on engineered bioactive interfaces and devices. “As someone who hopes to ultimately become a professor, these experiences are all that I could have asked for from my undergraduate education,” he says.

Baldridge worked with Dr. Kim Anderson and Dr. Thomas Dziubla on a nanoparticle drug delivery system that can be used to fight cancer using antioxidants. “The research I do is very pharmaceutically oriented,” he says. As part of his research, he wrote a paper won the first place award for his section and the overall second place award at the 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Southern Regional Conference.

“I love chemistry and I love math, so I think chemical engineering sounds great,” Baldridge says. “In my opinion, engineering is one of the best educations you can get. You learn a new way of thinking.”