UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From sketching in the margins of her school notebooks to acting in local theater, fourth-year Penn State Schreyer Scholar Katherine Marakovits has always possessed an affinity for the arts. She explained that her involvement in these activities, starting from a young age, allowed her to explore new ways to push the boundaries of her intellect and creativity.

“I grew up doing theater, sketching, and being drawn to that artistic side of myself. I have been involved in the performing arts for about 15 years now, starting in second grade,” Marakovits said. “I especially love the analysis side of theater, reading a script, and learning about new characters. The whole process is very intellectual to me, and it is so fun to be able to go on stage and transform into someone completely different.”

Marakovits shared how her younger self would be shocked by her current career path as an industrial engineering major at Penn State, considering her lifelong passion for the arts. It wasn’t until her parents suggested she sign up for the new engineering class offered at her high school that Marakovits was introduced to the field. Initially doubtful about whether she would enjoy the course, she was pleasantly surprised by how the content of the class fascinated her.

The emphasis on problem-solving and analysis drew Marakovits in, as she began searching for an avenue to incorporate her creativity. She explained how once she learned about industrial engineering, she found the perfect overlap between her interests in science and design.

“I was fortunate that my engineering teacher in high school encouraged involvement in STEM and helped to support us in the class. After that, I went to an engineering summer camp my junior year of high school, and that's where I heard about industrial engineering,” Marakovits explained. “I met a female industrial engineer who told me how she works with people and how design-oriented the field is. Considering all my experience with theater and art, that is what drew me into industrial engineering.”

Arriving at University Park in the fall of 2021, Marakovits said she worried that her demanding engineering courseload would make it difficult to get involved in the arts on campus. Attempting to create a balance between her academic work and her passion for performance, she joined the No Refund Theatre (NRT) organization, a student-run club that performs free shows each semester for the Penn State community.

Joining the club her first year, Marakovits found the artistic escape she was searching for. NRT allowed her to act in a unique variety of plays while forming connections with a group of students who possess a similar enthusiasm for the arts.

“NRT has been my backbone and helps me destress and do something fun for myself. Also, I have met some of my closest friends through the club,” Marakovits said. “From an early age, I viewed performance and acting as more fun and play, and now it's something that helps me get out of the STEM world and embrace that artistic side that I have always had.”

Since many of the club's members are pursuing degrees in STEM fields, Marakovits quickly realized that making time for theater was attainable as an engineering major. She shared how an artistic outlet like NRT allows her to temporarily turn off her engineering mindset, and flex her creative muscles.

“So much of my professional skills and creative thinking has come from theater and being involved with NRT. This includes public speaking, learning how to be empathic, and how to be a better person all around. Especially working for a student-run theater club, issues are popping up every day, from sets breaking to financial issues,” Marakovits explained. “Working with NRT has given me great leadership practice, and has improved my problem-solving skills, which is important as an engineering student.”

Performance is not the only art medium that Marakovits has balanced during her undergraduate career. Seeking to sharpen her drawing abilities in an academic setting, Marakovits embarked on a study-abroad art course this past spring in Florence, Italy. The course was called, “Painting En Plein Air," where students learned how to properly sketch and paint the architecture of downtown Florence. She described how the trip reignited her love for learning and taught her how to prioritize experiences that bring her joy, even if they do not directly connect to her career. 

“During the trip, our class would travel to a different part of the city every day and would paint our surroundings. The experience made me happy and was something that was just fun,” Marakovits said. “There's a lot of pressure in STEM fields to be very analytical, and it was nice to take a class that was based solely on passion, and to help understand why I love learning in the first place. Most importantly, studying abroad opened my eyes to the rest of the world and to different cultural perspectives.”

Schreyer Honors College has not only helped Marakovits fund her study-abroad experience but has also supported her in exploring the topics of art and engineering on a larger scale, she said. As a Scholar, Marakovits has been able to curate a nontraditional industrial engineering thesis topic that adheres directly to her curiosities. She explained how her research focuses on the connections between arts and science in the industry setting, and how educators can utilize art to improve engineering curriculum.

“I decided to do my thesis on arts and engineering integration in industry. This includes interviewing people after they graduate and seeing how interdisciplinary connections between the arts and engineering affect them in their everyday lives,” Marakovits explained. “With this research, we can see how we can improve undergraduate education through leadership development and different programs to help foster that interdisciplinary connection earlier.”

Sarah Zappe, assistant director of the Leonhard Center, is Marakovits' thesis supervisor on the project. Zappe explained the necessity of Marakovits’ innovative undergraduate research and the real-world applications of using art in a STEM field.

“There are some interesting connections of engineering with art. Historically, these disciplines were not in separate silos as they are today. Art can be utilized to enhance the engineering design process, encourage empathy for stakeholders, and bring relevance and interest to engineering problems,” said Zappe. “Katie’s study will be the first that I have seen that asks engineers in the industry how art intersects with their work.”

Marakovits explained how grateful she is to be able to conduct her thesis research in an area perfectly crafted to incorporate STEM and the arts. Before attending Penn State, she never thought she would have the space, funding, and faculty support to explore these two distinct topics simultaneously.

“Schreyer has allowed me to do so many things that I never even thought possible going into undergraduate. For example, I never thought I would be able to do a thesis like this and combine all of my interests together. It's textbook perfect, and I am so thankful,” Marakovits said.

As she progresses in her research throughout her fourth year, she hopes her thesis results can help educators see the benefit of incorporating art into STEM educational programs. In her personal undergraduate experience, she said, engineering courses often focus solely on logistics and analysis.

However, in real-world scenarios, Marakovits explained how having this intersection of analytical skills and artistic creativity has helped to make her stand out as an engineering intern.

“On the first day of class, my engineering professor asked how many of us consider ourselves to be creative, and only me and another student raised our hand. That anecdote encapsulates how engineering feels. The analytical side is really what draws people in, but that's not how engineering functions in reality,” Marakovits said. “Looking at realistic career examples and the work I've done during internships, I address these problems by thinking differently and bringing that artistic expression to be able to see the full picture.”

Throughout her undergraduate career, Marakovits has been an intern for a variety of engineering companies across the country. She said she credits the Society of Distinguished Alumni Mentoring Program, which is unique to Schreyer Honors College, for matching her with Penn State Distinguished Alumni Rick Riegel. A CEO in life science technology, Rigel has helped Marakovits in determining her passion for business, problem-solving, and design. The pair worked together to locate and secure multiple consulting internships, and Marakovits expressed how participating in the program was one of the best decisions she has made throughout her college experience.

“I knew I wanted to do industrial engineering differently and hone into my art passion. Rigel helped me figure out my interest in business and how to use my engineering mindset in real-world applications,” Marakovits shared. “The Distinguished Alumni Mentoring Program paired me up perfectly and has helped me to take my academic experience and learn how to transform that into my future career.”

During her internship last summer with Deloitte Consulting, Marakovits was a vital member of the company’s Human Resources (HR) branch. In this intern position, she said, she fearlessly spearheaded the redesigning of a new HR user portal for the company, demonstrating her design skills. Her outstanding performance resulted in an offer to return to the company following graduation, which Marakovits graciously accepted.

Set to graduate this spring, Marakovits’ outlook on her remaining months at Penn State is bittersweet, she said, yet full of positivity toward the future. She explained how her undergraduate experience taught her that art is something that she can never abandon, as it is inherent in who she is. No matter where her career takes her, Marakovits said that she is not worried about seeking out a balance between her career and her passion for art, as she trusts the balance will always find her.

“I plan to cherish the time I do have left at Penn State and understand that good things are coming after graduation. I am no longer stressed or worried about finding ways to implement art into my life after graduating,” Marakovits said. “Maybe l will stumble across community theater or take some art classes after work. I know now that art will always be a part of my life, and I will do whatever it takes to keep it there.”