Rutgers–Camden alumnus Ronald Barr CCAS’24 is the very embodiment of a STEM scholar.
The Camden County resident graduated with a bachelor of science in applied and computational mathematics and a bachelor of arts in digital studies while minoring in both computer science and physics. He now applies his technical knowledge in a role at the defense aerospace giant Lockheed Martin while pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Barr credits his alma mater with setting his higher learning and professional plans in motion. “If I hadn’t chosen Rutgers–Camden, I wouldn't be where I am,” he said. “It prepared me for grad school and the work I do today.”
Despite starting his college career at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Barr made the most of his on-campus experience. He was active in roles as a tutor and a representative for the Student Governing Association (SGA) and cited his leadership involvement in the Rutgers–Camden Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Club as an undergraduate highlight.
The club, for students interested in the tech industry, had dwindled after the pandemic. As president, Barr helped revive the organization, coordinating events like a hackathon and bringing guest speakers from area companies to network with the group.
“Everything about it was just a really delightful experience—meeting other students, talking to them about their dreams and how we can grow in our own fields. We also were able to help each other in and out of classes, too,” he said.
Another highlight included the research Barr conducted under the lab of Professor Cory Trout, assistant teaching professor of physics. “I had no idea what I was doing at first. I had never done physics research. He's going through all these instruments, and I'm looking there like a deer in headlights. But he taught me, and he mentored me,” Barr recalled.
Barr presented their work on the photocatalytic properties of nanoparticles at the Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (CURCA) in 2024. He continued research as an academic intern with the New Jersey Space Grant Consortium, where he represented Rutgers–Camden by presenting at regional universities.
The alumnus started his career with an internship at Lockheed Martin in a role much like his current one as a systems engineer, in which he addresses potential threats to naval and aircraft fleets.
“Everything I had done, everything that I had used in school—my math degree, my physics minor, and even my computer science minor—was used in that internship, which reaffirmed my choice to study at Rutgers–Camden,” he said.
While working at Lockheed Martin, Barr is also studying online at Johns Hopkins University, where he aims to earn his master’s in mechanical engineering next year. Taking graduate courses through the Rutgers–Camden’s accelerated master’s program, he said, prepared him for not only the rigor of graduate school but for the interdisciplinary nature of his chosen field.
“The exposure to computer science, physics, and math helped me prepared me to be a master's student at Johns Hopkins,” he said.
The alumnus, who plans to continue his career at Lockheed Martin after earning his master’s degree, spoke of faculty within several departments, including Trout, Daniel Cargill, lecturer of math, and Sunil Shende, professor of computer science, for shaping him as a student. “They're the ones that helped me get the career I have today,” he said.
