Syracuse Sun

Liesel Odden, a student-athlete at Syracuse University, manages the demanding schedule of being both an engineering student and a co-captain of the women's soccer team. Balancing academics with athletics, Odden often finds herself traveling for games while maintaining her studies in environmental engineering.

"One of the hardest parts about being a student-athlete is traveling," says Odden. "In the fall semester, over the course of nine days, I was in Texas, Virginia and Florida. But I’ve learned a lot more about time management since being in college."

Odden was drawn to Syracuse University due to its strong soccer program and academic opportunities. "My coaches made this place feel like home, and treated me like family," she says. "I also saw Syracuse had environmental engineering and that, along with research opportunities, was exciting."

Enrolled in a 4+1 accelerated program for environmental engineering, Odden will complete both her bachelor's and master's degrees ahead of schedule. She credits Professor Cliff Davidson for guiding her through this rigorous path.

As a research assistant working with Davidson, Odden examines how organizations respond to extreme weather events linked to climate change. "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," she explains.

Beyond academics and sports, Odden leads volunteer efforts in Mixco, Guatemala with Hogars Helping Hands, an organization founded by her parents that supports orphaned children and local communities.

She is also working towards establishing a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders at Syracuse University with guidance from professors Elizabeth Carter and John Trimmer.

Reflecting on her experiences as a student-athlete at ECS (College of Engineering and Computer Science), Odden appreciates the support she's received: “I’ve always felt very encouraged by Dr. Davidson...Dr Trimmer and Dr. Carter have also both been super supportive."

As she continues her journey balancing sports and academics, Odden remains optimistic about her future career in environmental engineering after completing her soccer commitments.