CROCKER FELLOWS 2021
Autumn Clark Information Systems
Autumn Clark is passionate about solving social problems with technology. She lives outside her comfort zone by pursuing diverse opportunities— solutions architecture at Adobe, impact investing at the Sorenson Impact Foundation, and research at BYU. For her master’s degree capstone, she started a business promoting healthcare-pricing transparency. Clark grew up in Alberta and served a mission in Hong Kong.
Ben Cullen Computer Science
Ben Cullen is from the Washington, DC, area and is studying computer science with an emphasis in data science. His interests span both business and technology, and he hopes to use his love of machine learning to solve both social and business-related issues through software. In his free time he enjoys running, hiking, and mountain biking.
Michael Davis Genetics
Born in Japan and raised all around the world, Michael Davis grew up with a genetic disease, seeing the impact of medical engineering firsthand. Now studying genetics, genomics, and biotechnology, he is preparing to apply to combined PhD/MD programs to further the scientific conversation regarding regenerative medicine.
Shawn Drake Industrial Design
Shawn Drake is studying industrial design. He was born in Tokyo, Japan; raised in Portland, Oregon; and served a mission in the Netherlands. Drake seeks to bring an unconventional and international approach to the design process. He enjoys exploring new materials and manufacturing processes, eating artisan ice cream, and traveling to get inspired and expand his horizons.
Lili du Plessis Industrial Design
Lili du Plessis is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is currently majoring in industrial design. She enjoys fashion and art in many forms and brings these interests into her design thinking. She looks for any excuse to create things with her hands and learn new skills. She aspires to incorporate empathy into everything she works on to create a more ethical and human-conscious world.
Cameron Duffy Applied Statistics
Cameron Duffy is from Deale, Maryland, and is majoring in applied statistics with a management minor. He served an LDS mission in France and Switzerland and loves all things French. Duffy enjoys learning about new technologies and growth strategies. He hopes to earn his CFA after graduation while working at Goldman Sachs in its Global Markets Division.
Tim Erickson Global Supply Chain Management
From Yolo County, California, Tim Erickson is preparing to enter the global supply chain management program. He’s excited to try his hand at innovation in a structured setting with the Crocker Fellows. Besides business and innovation, Erickson loves the outdoors and outdoor recreation.
Danni Figueroa Mechanical Engineering
From Coquimbo, Chile, Danni Figueroa is majoring in mechanical engineering. Curious, creative, and versatile, she strives to make the best out of every opportunity and is always learning and growing. She loves to connect people to new opportunities and hopes to continue to do so through innovation and engineering.
Marin Fisher Mechanical Engineering
Marin Fisher is a mechanical engineering undergraduate from Aurora, Illinois. She works as a research assistant, focusing on design for the developing world. She has also interned with an impact investing firm and is passionate about the social and economic impacts of design. She speaks Spanish and enjoys biking, sewing, and baking. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD and become a professor.
Bradley Garrett Mechanical Engineering
Southern without the drawl, Bradley Garrett is from Greenville, South Carolina, and is majoring in mechanical engineering. He has interned for an EV technology startup for the past four years and worked in supply chain, vehicle engineering, engineering operations, and program management. His experience in EV tech has fueled his desire to disrupt the automotive industry in an impactful way.
Luke Gibbs Entrepreneurship
Luke Gibbs is from Farmington, Utah, and is studying entrepreneurial management with personal emphasis in development economics and social impact. He started a powersports rental company at the age of eighteen and grew the business over several years to a successful exit. He loves to snowmobile, boat, travel, and have deep conversations about topics ranging from politics to farming.
Austin Harker Industrial Design
Austin Harker is from Rexburg, Idaho. He loves his design education and the freedom of bringing his creative choices into sync with the sensibilities of others. Aside from design, he loves to discuss in depth the forbidden topics: philosophy, religion, and politics. Always the devil’s advocate, he seeks to find common ground as he immerses himself in conversations with others.
Aileen Hernandez Entrepreneurship
Aileen Hernandez is majoring in entrepreneurial management sociology minor. Hernandez channels her ambitious creativity through various outlets, from her Etsy jewelry shop to creating and designing marketing content for social media platforms. A first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrant parents, she aspires to positively impact under- privileged communities through the power of social entrepreneurship.
Kylie Kretschmer Entrepreneurship
Originally from Temecula, California, Kylie Kretschmer is an entrepreneurial management major with experience in data analytics and marketing. Her passions range from social improvement to shopping. She runs an e-commerce brand in her spare time. She hopes to share the principles of entrepreneurial innovation and financial independence to strengthen the world’s developing economies.
Sai Maddali Entrepreneurship
Sai Maddali grew up in Georgia and now studies entrepreneurial management, with minors in computer science and design thinking. Maddali loves to read in-depth biographies, go on unnecessarily long walks, and watch lots of college football. After graduation, Maddali hopes to continue this innovation process at a fast-paced technology company for a few years before founding his own startup company.
Rebecca Nielsen Industrial Design
Rebecca Nielsen is a junior from Kent, Washington, with a double major in industrial design and Spanish. Nielsen comes from a family of makers and loves the hands-on nature of design work. She is passionate about color, texture, and creating meaningful connections with consumers through design. In her free time, she loves to cook, paint, sew, and take care of her twenty-five houseplants.
Randy Openshaw Electrical Engineering
Born in Iowa and raised in Massachusetts, Randy Openshaw is majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in entrepreneurship. He enjoys learning about new technology and developing skills in both engineering and business. Openshaw actively seeks out ways to improve the world around him. He lived in Spain, and loves to travel and learn about cultures and talk with others.
Ryan Parco Mechanical Engineering
Ryan Parco grew up in Farmington, Minnesota, and majors in mechanical engineering. When he is outside the engineering department, he studies computer science. Ryan has interned for small business and led in the creating and manufacturing of products, from food industries to cars. He looks to engulf himself in creative situations that will better his knowledge for life.
Benjamin Parker Electrical Engineering
From Merrimack, New Hampshire, Benjamin Parker is studying electrical engineering with a business minor. Having a passion for innovation, he has engineered and prototyped multiple mechanical and electrical devices. His interests range from embedded systems programming and controls to finance. After graduation, Parker plans to pursue an MBA and continue using his learning to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities.
Andre Parkinson Industrial Design
From Utah County, Andre Parkinson is a junior studying industrial design emphasizing entrepreneurship and innovation. Parkinson is passionate about finding eloquent design solutions through sketching, model making, and user testing. He enjoys outdoor activities such as downhill mountain biking, paddleboarding, and hiking, as well as spending time with his wife, Heather; two-year-old daughter, Penny; and newborn son, Lincoln.
Austin Reid Computer Engineering
From Canton, Connecticut, Austin Reid is working toward getting a computer engineering degree accompanied by a minor in astronomy. Reid is an avid rock climber, runner, and outdoorsman who spends nearly all of his free time out in nature. With a strong passion for space and rocketry, Reid hopes to pursue a career in the aerospace industry helping to develop more efficient methods of rocket propulsion and exploration.
Jeremiah Scott Mechanical Engineering
Jeremiah Scott is from Escondido, California, and has chosen to pursue a major in mechanical engineering and a minor in business. Scott puts his skills to practice as a freelance design engineer by preparing 3D models of innovative products for his clients. He thoroughly enjoys teaching CAD software to engineering students and playing musical instruments in his spare time.
Jonathan Skidmore Molecular Biology
A Utah Valley native, Jonathan Skidmore grew up with a fascination about creating animal mutants through genetic engineering. He now studies molecular biology with a chemistry minor and works for a small biotech company on developing a new breast cancer immunotherapy. He enjoys tutoring organic chemistry students, longboard dancing, hik- ing alone, and having meaningful conversations with his friends.
Austin Towns Entrepreneurship
Austin Towns is from Ogden, Utah, and is majoring in entrepreneurial management. Since he was little, he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He has started various startups ranging from selling funeral caskets online to running a digital marketing agency. He has always kept in mind his original goal of creating a brand known for creating quality- impactful solutions to deep problems.
Rachel Vance Information Systems
Rachel Vance wants to help change the world. Hailing from Idaho, Vance is currently studying information systems. In her spare time, she serves as president of the Women in Tech club, hones her violin skills, and enjoys rock climbing. Vance hopes to one day combine her coding expertise and business prowess to create a hybrid nonprofit organization.
TJ VanderLouw Computer Science
Talden “TJ” VanderLouw is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a computer science major with an emphasis in data science. He plans to use his degree to transform data into meaningful insights so compa- nies can have a better understanding of the effectiveness of marketing strategies. He has a passion for learning and enjoys listening to music, running cross country, and petting cute dogs when he gets the chance.
Kurt Volmar Computer Science
Kurt Volmar, from Kaysville, Utah, is studying computer science with a data science emphasis. In his career, he aims to utilize his interest in computer vision to innovate in the healthcare industry. Volmar is excited to be a product analytics intern at Pluralsight this upcoming summer. Outside of programming, he enjoys reading, hiking, and woodworking.
Brenna Wilkinson Entrepreneurship
Brenna Wilkinson, an entrepreneurship major born in the Northern Utah mountains, used to think she knew freezing temperatures. However, all that changed while living in Siberia where her hair turned white—requir- ing a drastic haircut. Not only does Wilkinson know how to wear winter gloves, but she also has a clear vision for her future: one day she wants to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs in third-world countries.
Andrew Williams Applied Computational Math
Andrew Williams grew up in Colorado and loves the mountains and all the adventures that they bring. Since he was young, Williams has enjoyed tinkering with things and learning how they work, which sometimes got him into trouble. Now he is interested in tinkering in a way that can improve the lives of those less fortunate than himself.
Daniel Yirenya-Tawiah Electrical Engineering
Daniel Yirenya-Tawiah is from Accra, Ghana. He is pursuing a degree in electrical engineering and has a passion for the advancement of technology in Africa. As an individual filled with curiosity, Yirenya- Tawiah has obtained research experiences in optics and analog circuit design. He hopes to pursue a career in analog circuit design.