Design to Value and New Product Development Engineer at Hillphoenix Refrigeration
Currently, in my role as DTV/NPD engineer, it is my responsibility to maintain the quality of refrigeration case design while advancing competitiveness in COGS contrasted with other companies in the industry. This is accomplished through developing innovative new products as well as undertaking projects to maximize the company’s cost-competitiveness. One example, changing the LED wiring method increases cost-competitiveness while improving ergonomics for operators on the production floor.
Undergraduate Researcher, Iowa State University, The Bentil Group
With The Bentil Group, I performed multiple roles as Dr. Bentil set up her lab for brain injury research. I modified an existing force deflection gauge for indenting soft tissue. This included modifying the device for data capture using a NI DAQ. CAD models, all created from 2D drawings for a shock tube were also developed as another project in the research group. Also, I performed literature reviews and other tasks as needed.
Tribology Research at Argonne National Lab: SULI Program
My time at Argonne National Lab was among my favorite learning experiences, which I reflect upon often. Since a child, I had always found personal enjoyment in science and technology. It was in high school during an AP Physics field trip to Fermilab and Argonne National Lab that I realized just how deeply I felt about advancing science and technology and my belief that these can be used to incite wonder and to create better lives for everyone through discovery and implementation.
When I received the email stating that I had been accepted as an intern at Argonne National Lab my last Summer in college, I was very excited to say the least; a homecoming to the place that inspired me to become an engineer and a pivotal moment in my life.
At Argonne National Lab, I performed tribology research under Dr. Eryilmaz. Responsibilities included operating various tribometers, taking measurements using a 3D profilometer and an optical microscope, and compiling results. I quickly realized that the data analysis workflow could be automated and I developed an Excel VBA macro that completely automated the process of resizing and importing pictures from our optical microscope into a PowerPoint document for later review. Attending several research presentations, I gained an appreciation for the many areas and aspects of research. I also attended a Machine Learning seminar wherein attendees were taught the fundamentals of Jupyter Notebooks to conduct machine learning research.
Manufacturing Engineer Internship, AmesburyTruth
As a manufacturing engineer intern at AmesburyTruth, a fenestration company located in Owatonna, Minnesota, my main responsibility was to improve the efficiency of a specific production line. Over the course of my internship, I performed a multiple time studies and communicated cross-departmentally to drive profitable and ergonomic modifications on the line. Improvements made, such as rearranging the production line to operate more efficiently and substantiate the need for new equipment, were implemented before my departure. In addition to these responsibilities, I created a VBA GUI for operators to use as a quality assurance measure, thus, creating another quality measure to ensure boxes are packed with no missing parts.