Meet Quinn McGonigle ’26, a Mechanical Engineering major from Levittown, PA, with minors in Mathematics and Physics, and Anna Parvati ’26, a Biomedical Engineering major from Matamoras, PA. Together, they represent the curiosity, drive, and innovative spirit at the heart of Fairfield’s School of Engineering.
Over the summer of 2025, softball teammates Quinn McGonigle ’26 and Anna Parvati ’26 drew on the close-knit friendship and effective teamwork they developed on the field and brought that collaborative spirit to a shared research project.
Their studies focused on the Achillies tendon, specifically Achilles tendinopathy. Their goal was to find the best method to take the clearest and highest resolution Ultrasound videos to accurately track the pennation angle of the muscle’s fascicles. This imaging would help them develop a more efficient rehabilitation regiment.
They each brought their own area of expertise to the project, Parvati focusing on the Motion Monitor Software and McGonigle working on creating an Ultrasound Probe holder device.
Together, they also helped mentor a group of high school students from Central High School, encouraging the students interests in exposure to opportunities in STEM.
McGonigle and Parvati’s understanding of the value of dedication and teamwork has contributed to their success in academics and athletics, both as individuals and as teammates.
Q&A
For donors who help make a Fairfield experience possible, provide financial aid and scholarships, and invest in faculty and staff advancement, please share a thank you message.
Quinn: Thank you to everyone who has given me the opportunity to be here at Fairfield! I am truly grateful for my time here as I have found my lifelong friends and have received the education I’ve always dreamed of having.
Anna: Thank you so much for the time and money that you have invested into Fairfield. We greatly appreciate your generosity.
What was your favorite memory from this past season?
Quinn: In our MAAC season opener against Mount last year, I hit for the Cycle (which is a single, double, triple, and a Homerun all in one game). It also happened to be the first game my godmother has ever been too while I’ve been in college.
Anna: Probably our trip to Charleston when we were playing at Charleston Southern. We were able to explore the downtown market as a team, which I enjoyed so much. It truthfully is the little extra experiences like getting stuck at an airport or playing hackey sack together until 3 a.m. before an early flight that I wish I could go back and relive. There is never a dull moment with our team.
What have you enjoyed most about being a member of a Fairfield University Athletic Team?
Quinn: I really enjoyed coming into school already having a community to rely on. The team was an immediate family which made transitioning into college so much easier than I could have ever imagined. The support system from the staff in all areas made adjusting to college life so much easier.
Anna: I love the sense of community that comes with being a student-athlete, regardless of your sport, someone is also experiencing the same trials and tribulations. I have a built-in support system of great people. My team, however, has been the greatest gift to me. I cannot express how thankful I am that my coach decided to recruit all of us to the same place.
My favorite Fairfield memory...
Quinn: One of my favorite memories would probably my sophomore year when I was put into a game and all of my friends who aren’t on the softball team just happen to be there and they became the loudest people in the stands. It made me feel so good knowing I made such amazing friends that they came to a game they weren’t even sure I would play in. And then to be the loudest fans I’ve ever had besides my parents.
Anna: My favorite Fairfield memory was last year, sledding down the hill in front of the library when everyone had not come back to campus from winter break yet. It was just a few athletic teams who took sleds, dish soap, and garbage bags down the hill. I have never laughed harder in my life.
How my experience at Fairfield University has influenced my life and perspective...
Quinn: Fairfield has given me a look on life that was different before I got here. It opened my eyes to the possibilities that I could achieve and different paths my life can go down. It showed me how important it is to network and make friends with everyone by getting involved with different clubs and groups outside of just the softball team.
Anna: I have grown to be immensely thankful for the wonderful people who have been introduced to my life through Fairfield. I have grown so incredibly close with my teammates and other members of the Fairfield community. I have become more mindful of how fleeting time is and that these experiences and people are going to last me a lifetime. Even further, that everything will work out, even when it seems like it won’t. There are hidden blessings in every experience, whether it be a lesson, memory, or a best friend.
My career goals / future plans are…
Quinn: I would love to go into some type of design field in engineering, and I want to stay up in the northeast near Boston. I hope that my time here at Fairfield has prepared me well for the adult world and the challenges to come!!!
Anna: I would love to apply my engineering “expertise” to the field of athletics. There are a lot of applications to the world of sports biomechanics, and I would love to work alongside some sort of sports team in doing so. I love the atmosphere of athletics, regardless of the role I would have.
