Lisa Sulmasy

Lisa
Sulmasy
Mechanical Engineering
2021

Lisa is currently a Solutions Engineer at Verkada, in the San Francisco Bay area.

Hometown: Grafton, MA

Off- Campus Experience

Research Assistant at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping: I spent a semester at UNH working in their ocean engineering department. I was able to design and build a working single-beam SONAR device that will be used to map shallow ocean floors.

On-Campus Experience

Pep Band: I played the flute in the Pep Band, and I was the manager for the 2018-2019 school year! I loved playing at hockey games and going on road trips.

LEAP (Leadership Educators Advising Peers): I trained to be a facilitator for experiential learning activities that focus on group dynamics, communication, and problem solving skills.

2021 Class Council: I was the Class of 2021 President! The class councils planned all events throughout the year for their classes, and planned all of the senior week events.

Admissions Ambassador: Gave tours to prospective students and served as a panelist at events.

Favorite Class

My favorite class was Engineering Processes, where I learned how to use machine shop tools like the drill press and the lathe.

Defining Leadership

Lisa navigated her career at Rensselaer with a skill she learned from her work as a student facilitator with the Archer Center and Leadership Educators Advising Peers (LEAP) program — the concept of being a servant leader, putting someone else’s needs before your own. At the Class of 2021 Zero Year Reunion, right before Commencement, Lisa described the philosophy of servant leadership to her fellow classmates. “A leader’s goal is to serve their team and lead their members to success, rather than focusing on the success of their organization.” 

Lisa instills this philosophy in her own philanthropic and volunteer efforts as president of the Alumni Class Council representing the Class of 2021. Lisa believes acting as a “servant leader” can be done on a personal level with simple acts of kindness as well, including stepping in to help someone in need or taking on a task one might not normally take.