Liesel Odden (Photo by Alex Dunbar)
Liesel Odden ’24, G’25 knows all too well the challenges of being a student-athlete. One minute she’s in the research labs of Link Hall; the next minute, she’s boarding a bus for an away game in a different state. As the co-captain of the University’s women’s soccer team and a student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), Odden juggles these responsibilities much like she juggles soccer balls on the field.
“One of the hardest parts about being a student-athlete is traveling. In the fall semester, over the course of nine days, I was in Texas, Virginia and Florida,” says Odden. “But I’ve learned a lot more about time management since being in college.”
Playing soccer for as long as she can remember, Odden was thrilled to learn that ϲ’s team was in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), widely recognized as the top conference for women’s soccer. And the chance to play her favorite sport while pursuing her research interests was appealing.
“My coaches made this place feel like home, and treated me like family,” she says. “I also saw ϲ had environmental engineering and that, along with research opportunities, was exciting.”
Odden is enrolled in the 4+1 accelerated program for environmental engineering, a combined degree where students complete both a bachelor’s and master’s at the same time in five years, though she will complete both degrees early.
She credits Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Cliff Davidson with helping her discover this accelerated program and though the courseload is rigorous, it’s also been helpful. Online lectures make catching up on work much easier, especially when she’s on the road.
As a research assistant, Odden collaborates with Davidson to analyze survey data on how different organizations respond to extreme weather events caused by climate change. Using information gathered from survey data, they’re attempting to find patterns between locations, organizations and strategies to respond to extreme weather events.
“With climate change, we’re going to be seeing a lot more flooding, droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather events so we need to have better ability to respond,” Odden says. “I think that we can be prepared and respond better if we know how different people and organizations strategize.”
Displaying leadership qualities both on and off the field, Odden has traveled to Mixco, Guatemala, for several summers, leading volunteer teams for Hogars Helping Hands, a nonprofit organization founded by her parents. The nonprofit focuses on supporting orphaned children and the local community, with volunteer groups building stoves, installing concrete floors and painting village homes among other tasks.
With the help of professors Elizabeth Carter and John Trimmer, Odden also aims to establish a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders at the University.
As Odden continues balancing her life as a student-athlete, she relies on her strong support system to achieve her goals and stay ahead of the game.
“I’ve always felt very encouraged by Dr. Davidson. He’s been an incredible mentor to me and I feel like I’ve learned a lot from him. Dr Trimmer and Dr. Carter have also both been super supportive of me as a student-athlete,” says Odden. “In ECS, I have felt very supported and love how much I’ve grown as a student and my passions have been fueled and cared for. After I’m done playing soccer, I’ll have a great environmental engineering background that I can have a career in.”
