Test Engineering Intern at Zipline International
Summer 2023, South San Francisco CA
I worked with Zipline’s ground systems team to derisk, validate, and improve components and processes. My contributions found and flagged numerous possible reliability concerns early in the design cycle, saving time and money for design engineers and the entire team.
I designed tests and built machines to test a variety of parts under a variety of circumstances: temperature variations, humidity conditions, impact, airflow, mechanical load, and more.
I also worked to develop sensing and control algorithms for electromechanical processes involving DC motors, linear actuators, current sensors, load cells, and more
The role allowed me to use my interest and experience in mechanical design, electrical engineering, fluids and pneumatics, computer science, microcontrollers, signal processing, controls, sensors, data analysis, and my ‘I will figure out a way to do it’ attitude.
Systems Engineering Intern at GE Aviation
Summer 2022, Rockford IL
In this role, I worked primarily in GE Rockford’s air lab, where testing is done on all kinds of valves in all sorts of conditions. I designed and ran tests and processed the output data.
I was also able to do work in new valve design and in improving the overall manufacturing efficiency of the plant.
Overall the position gave me important experience with the kind of work that engineers constantly do: troubleshooting problems and communicating. I also got a great feel for the actual equipment used in valves, testing, sensing, and data acquisition through hands-on time working in the lab.
ECE 20007: Introductory Electrical Engineering Lab TA for Purdue ECE
January 2023 – May 2024, West Lafayette IN
ECE 20007 is a required class for ME and EE students, and the first one in which students build circuitry. I found it a challenging but rewarding experience and found myself looking for ways to independently work on electrical projects soon afterwards.
I decided to apply to be a TA after finishing the class, and it was one of the best decisions of my college career. I spent 3 semesters helping students understand, debug, and build circuits, often referencing my own experiences in my personal projects to spark interest.
In Spring 2024, I was ‘promoted’ to head TA for an ECE 20007 section, a job usually reserved for graduate students. The role allowed me to even more effectively connect with students, teach the content, as well as handle the additional responsibility of managing logistics, grading, and student success.
Most importantly, my three years of TA-ing taught me an unbelievable amount about people, teaching, and electronics, and kept me facile with the content matter for my future engineering endeavors.
ME 274: Dynamics Tutor for Purdue Athletics
January 2022 – December 2023, West Lafayette IN
When I took ME 274, I loved it. It was a class where I felt that I could visualize concepts and understand them beyond just the basic equations. So when the opportunity opened for a tutor, I jumped.
In Spring 2022, I worked with three different students one-on-one and led multiple group review sessions for ME 274. I helped my students with homework, exam prep, and clearing up concepts and misconceptions.
My main goal as a tutor was to communicate the basic ideas and give my students a feel for how to approach problems and think about physics instead of getting stuck in all of the equations.
I think my students appreciated my help (they kept coming back), and I will continue tutoring, either for ME 274 or another of my favorite classes.