Long before Mariah Sinan ’20 began her career in the nuclear industry, she was growing up on her family’s farm in Home, Pennsylvania, where she gained firsthand experience with how equipment works and developed a curiosity about the science and mechanics behind it. Those early experiences, combined with her interests in physics and mathematics, eventually led her to pursue a career in engineering and the nuclear industry. Along the way, IUP played an important role in helping her explore those interests and discover where they could take her.
Mariah Sinan’s family farm in Home, Pennsylvania
Sinan recently reached another milestone in that journey, earning a master of science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in spring 2026. Her path to graduate school began at IUP during her senior year of high school, when she enrolled through IUP’s dual enrollment program. After graduating from high school, she continued her studies at IUP, where she found an academic environment that allowed her to explore her interests while preparing for a future in engineering.
Life on the family farm provided Mariah with early hands-on experiences with equipment and machinery
Caring for her horses, Ginger and Cass, helped cultivate Mariah’s diligence and perseverance
“IUP’s unique 3+2 program was a major factor in my decision to attend the university,” Sinan said. “The program provided me with an opportunity to earn degrees in two fields while offering a more affordable educational pathway.” The program allowed Sinan to combine her interests in physics and engineering. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from IUP in spring 2020; meanwhile, she completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in fall 2021, after transferring to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
At IUP, Sinan found opportunities to explore science beyond the classroom. She gained research experience in physics and participated in the Physics Olympics through the Physics Club. She also valued the personal connections that came with studying at a smaller university. “IUP’s small class sizes and dedicated faculty provided me with a strong foundation and allowed me to explore my growing interests in science and engineering,” she said.
Mariah received IUP’s Hilliard Robertson scholarship
Mariah helped students with the “Aluminum Foil Boat” challenge at the Physics Olympics
Her experiences at IUP and UPJ helped prepare Sinan for the next step in her career. As an undergraduate, she completed an internship with Armstrong Power LLC, gaining valuable experience that complemented her academic studies. After earning her degrees, Sinan began her professional career at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. Today, she primarily supports reactor servicing operations associated with refueling and inactivation efforts for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Her work encompasses design, procedural development, and safety assessment activities.
Her professional experiences ultimately led her back to the University of Pittsburgh, where she pursued graduate study in nuclear engineering while continuing to build her career. Sinan earned her master’s degree in spring 2026, completing an educational path that began with physics at IUP and expanded through mechanical and nuclear engineering.
Looking back, Sinan sees her physics education as an important starting point for the career she has built. “My physics education helped lead me toward mechanical engineering and ultimately sparked my interest in the nuclear industry,” she said.
Mariah at the University of Pittsburgh’s Order of Engineering induction ceremony
That progression—from physics to mechanical engineering to nuclear engineering—has given Sinan a unique combination of knowledge and skills. Today, she works at the intersection of science, engineering, and energy, applying concepts that first captured her interest years ago. For Sinan, the journey is also a reminder of the value of exploring where an education can lead rather than limiting possibilities to a single career path.
Her story illustrates the many directions an IUP Physics/Pre-Engineering education can take students. With a strong foundation in physics, opportunities for hands-on experience, and pathways to additional study, IUP helped Sinan turn an early curiosity about how things work into a career in one of the nation’s most specialized fields of engineering.