Engineering

American Wind Energy Association, Univeristy of Iowa

I spent two years as part of AWEA, where we designed, built, and experimented on wind turbines. We built a small wind turbine capable of charging a mobile device. We also advocated for the university to increase its adoption of renewable energy.

Pictured: Wind farm in Iowa (not mine)

Industrial Sector Operations
Engineering Intern, Eaton Corporation

I spent a summer as an Engineering Intern at Eaton’s Kearney, Nebraska valve manufacturing plant. My assignment was to gain an understanding of how everything in the plant worked, and then improve something. I chose to do two projects, one motivated by finances and one motivated by safety. In my three months of work, I developed a way to reduce scrap reduction and save the plant $50,000 per year. I also designed a new storage rack to enable easier lifting of steel frames, which had been a main driver for plant injuries.

American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics,
University of Iowa

During my one year with AIAA, I helped with the research, design, and construction of a high-powered rocket to launch in a competition. I was on the team in charge of the wings and body.

Pictured: Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center