BLOOMINGTON – Hannah Bunnell is on track to graduate with her associate degree in electrical engineering technology in May 2018. She has multiple skill sets in the arts and technology, as a musician who plays both guitar and keyboard, and holds a private pilot’s license. While she finishes her last semester of college, she is gaining valuable experience as an audio engineering intern at local community radio station, WFHB.
“I engineer every Wednesday for the Local Live program,” said Bunnell. “A local band will come in to play live on the radio so I set up the recording room and record their broadcast. After the show, I handle the post-production editing.”
Bunnell also creates training documents for the station to help future interns.
“My knowledge of audio plus everything I learned at Ivy Tech has really made me a valuable asset,” said Bunnell. “If it’s electronic and broken, I get to fix it. My electronics skills come in handy when fixing hardware such as cables or headphones and troubleshooting computer issues.”
Bunnell moved to Bloomington from Nashville, Tenn., after studying audio engineering at a predatory, for-profit college.
“I decided to move to Bloomington in April 2015 to make a fresh start,” said Bunnell. “Already in massive debt and no degree to show for it, I enrolled at Ivy Tech as a less expensive solution. I decided to study electrical engineering technology so I would have a well-rounded skill set to work in music production.”
Bunnell enrolled at Ivy Tech and continued to work several jobs throughout her time as a student. She also quickly became a student leader on campus, serving as president of Ivy Tech’s maker club and working as a supplemental instructor, teaching Ivy Tech introductory electronics classes.
Ivy Tech student Hannah Bunnell created an audio compressor/limiter for her final project in electrical engineering technology course, EECT 211.
“My amazing teachers have done everything they can to help me succeed, especially Dr. Tom Lucas,” said Bunnell. “Everyone in the department knows me by name and have all helped me in some way. At Ivy Tech, I feel like the faculty and staff are always here to help me, and every professor makes me feel like a future colleague, rather than just another student.”
In addition to her professional experience, Bunnell is skilled in creating her own audio equipment, and started her own audio electronics repair business. In fall 2017, she engineered and built an audio compressor for her final project in her electrical engineering course, and demonstrated the technology to students.
Ivy Tech student Hannah Bunnell shows another student an audio compressor that she built for her final project in electrical engineering technology course, EECT 211.
“Until I find my dream job, I would love to continue working in radio or at a recording studio,” she said. “In the meantime, I’ve been fixing keyboards, guitars, and amplifiers, and I hope to continue to grow this business. I also still fly airplanes occasionally.”
Information about Ivy Tech’s electrical engineering technology program can be found online at ivytech.edu/electrical-engineering-tech.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
