Robert Swan, associate department head in civil, architectural and environmental engineering, poses with Melag at the Delaware Valley Geo Institute (DVGI) Student Night , where Melag received the 2024 DVGI Student Scholar Award
Kris Melag was ten years old when he travelled to India for the first time
to visit his grandparents in Mumbai, India. During this trip, he recalled
walking down a street when he saw a younger child living in a worn-down
shack. The conditions of the child's home, along with his exposure to the
impoverished community, sparked a fire in his heart to take action.
"That was the moment I decided I wanted to become an engineer," Kris said.
While Kris’ exposure to computer science in Boy Scouts initially led him to
Drexel's computer engineering program, he soon realized he wanted his work
to produce more tangible results. "I settled into civil engineering because
a lot of what I deal with will impact the public community," Kris stated.
"Building the future is my vision, and I felt like civil engineering and
construction management was the best way to achieve that."
This interest in making an impact culminated into a wide range of
activities, from working part time as a karate instructor to working with
Arvin Ebrahimkhanlou, PhD, assistant professor of civil, architectural and
environmental engineering (CAEE), studying the potential of utilizing visual
language models to describe infrastructure images.
Because he didn’t have exposure to civil engineering earlier in life, Kris
made a special effort to find activities pertaining to those interests.
Kris noted that he "wanted a club that could help [him] connect with the
right people," and after discovering the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in October 2019, he found the connections he sought
through ASCE's professional development events.
Throughout his time in ASCE, including his past year as president, Kris
worked regularly with and found a mentor in Robert Swan, Jr., teaching
professor and associate department head of undergraduate studies of CAEE.
Kris explained that Swan "goes above and beyond in everything he does," and
as a Drexel alum himself, Swan has helped Kris make the most out of his
time at Drexel. "There were a lot of times where I struggled academically,
professionally, and personally, and Dr. Swan has really pulled through for
me not just as a mentor, but also as a friend," Kris stated.
Inspired by Swan’s mentorship, Kris returned the favor to other students:
as secretary of Drexel’s chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors
society, he was able to work with high-achieving student leaders committed
to serving their communities.
A native of Devon, PA, Kris visited Drexel's campus in 2018 and was wary of
the culture shock of being in Philadelphia. But he credits his mother with
helping him make the right choice and with being his strength over the last
five years.
"I told my mom, 'I don't see myself coming to Drexel, there's no way,'" he
reflected. "But she told me I was going to face a lot of challenges as I
got older, and I needed to find ways to overcome them."
Feeling encouraged to try new things and live in the city, Kris decided to
give Philly a chance - and he ended up loving it.
"It was a really fantastic experience to live in a city that has so much
culture and diversity," he said, recalling the people who've come into his
life from all different backgrounds since he arrived at Drexel and
crediting them for his positive experiences. "Each of them played a role in
helping me become the person I am today," he said. "I want all my friends
to know that I'm so glad I got to create a lifetime of memories with them."
The connections Kris has made since coming to Drexel have opened the doors
to countless accomplishments, such as a full-time offer from his final
co-op at W.S. Cumby Construction and his senior design team's recent
victory at the Architectural Engineering Institute's 2024 InternationalStudent Design Competition in San Jose, California.
From communication skills to professional development, Drexel provided Kris
with the tools he needed to succeed and ultimately "gave [him] a new life."
"My message to future students is that you're never going to know unless
you try," Kris stated. "When you get thrown into the fire, you start to
discover what you can do, and when you unlock that potential, you're a
beast. That's what Drexel helps students do. It's up to you to take charge
of your story."