Roy Cornett, a chemist and a physicist in one, steps up to be a leader without strings attached. Whether it be coaching robotics or creating a new club for students, he’s your guy.

According to his friend, Cornett is a unique, brilliant third-year chemistry and physics student. Multiple students from the chemistry department said he has significant leadership skills, and recommended that I give him the spotlight.

Cornett, who is from Platteville, WI, said he chose to attend UW-Eau Claire  because he was interested in the undergraduate research opportunities that the campus offers.

Cornett is the president of MakeUWEC, an interdisciplinary community of students focused on making new and innovative ideas come to life, according to the UW-Eau Claire website. Their hope is to inspire students to collaborate with others and discover new interests.

“I helped to start the club, and (I) hope it can grow into a place for people to share their hobbies and interests,” Cornett said.

He is also a part of the American Chemical Society Student Affiliate on campus. Currently, he’s volunteering a few hours tutoring with them, and he is also involved in the chemistry demonstrations that the department does at outreach events, Cornett said.

Cornett has received first prize at the Wysis Quick Pitch competition in Eau Claire and had the opportunity to compete in the Wysis Quick Pitch competition at state level, he said.

The competition judged people’s abilities to explain their research using simple terms in three minutes or less, Cornett said.

He has also received a helpful scholarship from the chemistry department for being an active student, he said.

Cornett is a student in Dr. Boulter’s research team, he said.

“Currently, we are working on a prototype of a new type of sensor,” Cornett said. “It is extremely exciting every time our research team makes progress towards finishing the prototype.”

He said he has also coached robotics with Blugold Beginnings. Cornett said he loved working with students from the Eau Claire community and seeing the incredible ideas they came up with.

“It was particularly rewarding to see the students learn how to learn from failures and grow as leaders,” Cornett said.  

He said he believes what sets him apart from others is that he had incredible mentors growing up who taught him to value failures and setbacks, and how to learn from them.

“I have many professors and friends that inspire me every day,” Cornett said. “Hopefully, I can fulfill that role for someone else.”

Because he is over halfway done with undergraduate college life, Cornett said he wants to attend graduate school and do research involving the construction of new sensors.

So far in his life, Cornett said he wouldn’t change anything about his experiences.

“The negative events and failures have taught me just as much as the positive ones,” Cornett said. “Overall, it has been filled with incredible opportunities and very interesting friends. I am happy to be a Blugold.”

Dirks can be reached at [email protected].