Students at Hobart and William Smith Colleges are combining a liberal arts education with engineering training through a five-year joint-degree program with Dartmouth College.
Participants spend three years at Hobart and William Smith and two at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, earning a bachelor’s degree from each institution.
Maryfei Berrigan, a member of the Hobart and William Smith Class of 2027, spent two years at Dartmouth working on projects that included a walker tray for a child with cerebral palsy, photovoltaic nanotechnology research and a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how brains interact.
Berrigan, who studies physics and engineering, also worked as a tutor and teaching assistant and played volleyball. She is returning to Hobart and William Smith for her senior year before completing a fifth year at Dartmouth.
Jake Romney, a 2026 graduate who studied physics with minors in mathematics and engineering, focused on mechatronics at Dartmouth and worked with the Formula Racing team on the aerodynamics of a race car's nosecone and front wing.
Romney also conducted astronomy research through Hobart and William Smith at Apache Point Observatory. He has accepted a mechanical engineering internship with Zaino Engineering Services and is considering graduate study.
Jose Martinez Barelles, a 2026 graduate, and Robert Breslin, a member of the Class of 2027, have also participated in the Dartmouth program, according to the colleges.
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