By Sydney Stone
Ella Griffin is currently working toward an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Systems Management, specializing in the Energy Systems track.
Although originally from a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, Ella made the decision to attend the University of Minnesota, despite her strong family ties to the University of Wisconsin.
“When we moved back to Madison (from Milwaukee), my parents showed my sister and I everything they loved about going to college there, like State Street and going to the farmer's market,” Ella recalled. “I felt like it wouldn't be a new experience.”
Choosing to attend college in the Twin Cities was more than just a change of scenery, it was an opportunity to gain meaningful experiences and connect with new people. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people, so I went to school here,” she said.
Like many undergrad students, Ella explored different paths before finding the major that resonated with her. She shared, “I was majoring in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering because I liked the sustainability focus.” However, she found herself struggling with some of the more physics-based classes.
“I already knew of SSM because I was in the department, and I knew that it still had that sustainability focus, so I switched,” she said. The change allowed her to pursue her passion for sustainability, while finding a better fit for her strengths and goals.
Among the courses Ella has taken within the department, one has stood out as her favorite so far.
“I really liked my renewable energy class, BBE 1201,” she explained. “For our final project, we used an energy meter to measure how much energy different devices used, even when they weren't being used. I thought it was interesting to compare how much energy different devices used.”
Beyond the classroom, Ella has gained hands-on research experience within the department. This past summer, she worked on a biofuel project with Professor Hua Zhao.
“I analyzed how quickly different combinations of enzymes worked to extract the sugars in untreated and pretreated duckweed. The faster the sugar is extracted, the less expensive it is to produce biofuel, which is the ultimate goal.”
The experience deepened Ella’s understanding of renewable energy, while also providing professional insight into how a job in the field may function.
“This was the first job I've worked that was more independent, as opposed to having a manager tell you what tasks to do when,” she stated. “I became more confident in my ability to prioritize tasks. I became quicker at identifying the information I'm looking for in a research paper.”
While in this role, Ella also considered how it will help provide a strong foundation to another role she’ll be taking on this school year.
“I'm TAing a biology class next semester,” she added. “I kept that in the back of my mind and thought about potential questions students might have if they were doing this lab. That made me feel more prepared to TA next semester, even though it's using different procedures.”
As a worker involved at the U, including a previous position with M Food Co., Ella is a great example of a student who is committed to her passions.
When asking Ella what advice she’d like to give other students looking for experience, she encouraged students to never hesitate reaching out. “The worst a professor can do is say that they're not looking for help right now,” she said. “Even if you don't think you're interested in research, I'd encourage everyone to try it for a summer or a semester. There are so many interesting projects going on.”
On track to graduate in Spring 2027, we are proud to have Ella in the SSM community and look forward to what she continues to accomplish, both in the classroom and beyond.