Mechanical Engineering Undergrad Named to Arizona Board Of Regents

On April 26, Gov. Doug Ducey named mechanical engineering sophomore Katelyn N. Rees to a student regent position on the Arizona Board of Regents. The ABOR is the governing body of the state's three public universities. In her new role, Rees will eventually vote on policies that could impact students.

“In the first year, I hope to gain experience and confidence as a decision maker,” said Rees.

Once she is a senior, Rees will have full voting rights. Her priorities include increasing transparency between students, regents and lawmakers. She’d also like to play a role in better promoting in-state options to Arizona students choosing universities. Though she acknowledges it’s a difficult task, Rees hopes to help increase the number of women and other underrepresented populations who pursue STEM degrees.

“As a proud Arizona native and University of Arizona student, becoming the next Student Regent is the highest honor and a great responsibility,” Rees said. “In assuming this leadership role, I look forward to learning the details of what makes Arizona higher education successful and to positively progressing our universities. Similarly, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from fellow board members and university faculty as I endeavor to discover a greater purpose for myself and my state.”

Rees is a double major in computer science with a 4.0 GPA and is a student in the W.A. Franke Honors College.

“Katelyn is a dynamic and driven student leader,” Ducey said. “She is an influential member of many university programs and community organizations, and I’m sure her achievements will only continue to grow."

She hopes to pursue a career that combines math and science with creativity and is considering options in software engineering, robotics, autonomous vehicle design, or perhaps even becoming a Disney Imagineer.