Sara Metcalf joined LEAM and the University of Illinois in 2003.  Her LEAM focus is on how patterns of decline and discrepancy evolve in urban areas, in an attempt to glean insight into the social and neighborhood dynamics at play.  As part of the PhD program in Geography, Sara intends to couple her interest in human interactions and decision-making with an aptitude for complex systems modeling across space as well as time. 

Sara earned master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001, as part of the Leaders for Manufacturing program.  Her thesis utilized a dynamic model to explore the barriers and enablers for successful market penetration of alternative vehicle technologies designed for energy efficiency.  Sara’s exposure to the realities of existing and alternative vehicle technologies has been augmented by her work experience in business strategy and technology development at General Motors and at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Fuel Cells. 

Sara’s undergraduate education comes from Texas A&M University, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering in 1996.  Her undergraduate research efforts involved bioremediation of chemical warfare organophosphate compounds, and analysis of trace metal contamination from EPA-designated Superfund sites.  Upon graduation, Sara worked as a process engineer for Intel Corporation, where she was responsible for the effectiveness of plasma-enhanced and sub-atmospheric chemical vapor deposition techniques in forming the dielectric layers on microchips. 

In other activities, Sara enjoyed a memorable experience teaching science to 5^th through 10^th graders as a volunteer in Rajgarh, Himachal Pradesh, India in 2001.  As a tourist, she has also enjoyed travels to the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico and Canada.  Next on her list are visits to friends in Uganda, Australia, and Indonesia.