My name is Wen Xu. I am from Wexford, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh. Originally, I am from Chengdu, China, where I lived until I was six years old. I also lived in Winnipeg, Canada for six years, but I have been in Pittsburgh for the past six years. For my education prior to attending the University of Pittsburgh, I went to North Allegheny Senior High School. It is a high quality educational institution that has prepared me well for my college studies.
I decided on Pitt engineering for several reasons. First, I chose to attend the University of Pittsburgh because it is a high-caliber university close to home that has an outstanding engineering program. It is also linked to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which I took into consideration since one of my aspirations is to become a physician. Thus, I am studying bioengineering because I believe it will prepare me for the rigor of medical school while at the same time, teach me all the necessary pre-medical skills and beyond. I want to become a physician because I love helping people, and I think medicine is one of the most direct ways to do that. I volunteered at Allegheny General Hospital every summer of high school, and I loved the patient interaction and the gratifying feeling that results.
As for my interests, I have many of them. I love almost all types of music, from hip hop to rap to classical. I play classical piano and I played the trombone in my high school wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band. I also love learning about other cultures and their languages. I studied French all through high school, and I took a French conversation class this past semester at Pitt. I am also involved in the Pitt French Club. I definitely hope to visit or maybe even live in France one day. My other big interest is reading for the fun of it. Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, but I also read books from the other genres.
Along with three other team members, I will aid the OPDC in making a decision regarding the future use of the Aliquippa Place facility. The main part of our project is to provide a cost estimate for the renovation of the apartment units. Our estimates will include the cost of potentially replacing windows, doors, flooring, and insulation. A thermographic camera will be utilized to do a heat analysis of the buildings. In addition, we will consider Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance in renovating the apartment units. We will also look into the option of tearing down the current buildings and contructing a new low-income housing facility. By looking at all these aspects, we will work with OPDC to make a decision regarding the future of Aliquippa Place.