The Swanson School’s Sweetest Student

Cailey Dolata, a rising junior studying chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, has a taste for the sweeter things in life. 

Dolata, who considers herself STEM-minded, decided to pursue a career in chemical engineering because of her first love: baking. 

“Recipe, steps, instructions, numbers – that makes sense to a brain like mine,” Dolata said. “A recipe is even more soothing to me when it’s in metric.” 

Dolata has operated her baking business, Crumbs of Perfection, which specializes in cookies and cakes, since high school. 

However, it wasn’t until recently that she made the connection between baking and engineering during her co-op at The Hershey Company. She’s working as a product commercialization engineering intern this summer, helping process engineers to design new products. 

“I realized early-on that I could do a lot with the food industry if I studied chemical engineering,” Dolata said. “And at Hershey, it feels like a substantial amount of people have a chemical engineering background.”  

During a regular day at Hershey, Dolata received news that would make it possible to pursue her passion. She received the $10,000 Future of Chemistry Scholarship for Women through the Chemours Women’s Network, which is solely focused on supporting self-identified women who plan to continue their STEM education in college.

Dolata submitted her application during finals week after seeking feedback from her friends. She thought her chances of receiving it were low. 

“When I got the email of my acceptance, I couldn’t believe it was real,” Dolata said. “Tears filled my eyes.” 

During her application process, she was asked what women inspired her career. The answer wasn’t as straightforward. Rather than historical figures, Dolata found that she valued women she encountered on a day-to-day basis as her source of inspiration – particularly Taryn Bayles, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering and vice chair of undergraduate education at Pitt. 

Bayles was the one who recommended Dolata apply for the scholarship. 

“Cailey is an exceptional student,” Bayles said. "She has demonstrated a strong work ethic and the determination to not only be an accomplished chemical engineering student, but also an incredible baker!  She has an unwavering commitment to excellence in all that she pursues.” 

Dolata will always be a baker at heart, citing it as one of the reasons she has been so successful at the Swanson School. 

“It’s such a stress reliever,” Dolata said. “Sometimes, I just drive home and spend hours in the kitchen. I come back to campus feeling rejuvenated.”