What I Do I am a mechanical engineer working as a research scientist. I am creating a novel device to very accurately measure the speed of sound of liquid metals.
Why Engineering? I chose engineering because I like to build things and find it very satisfying to see the result of my design and hypothesis. I really liked cooking and baking growing up and I see working in a lab a lot like working in a kitchen!
School Days I went to Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan for my bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in mechanical engineering. I then went to the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington for my masters of science (M.S.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in mechanical engineering.
My Day At Work I spend my day mostly in the lab building things and running experiments. When I am designing something I will spend more time on my computer creating models and simulations of the designs. I also attend meetings with team members and collaborators to update them on progress and ask question relating to my research.
Best Part The best part of being an engineer is having the skills to bring an idea to realization. It is a really satisfying to me to be able to not just be creative and dream up new inventions, but then also have the skills to go out and make that dream a reality.
Challenges The most challenging (and serious) parts of becoming an engineer is that one is building something that can impact someone else's life. It is serious work and you have to be confident in your calculations and experiments. One also has to have a lot of grit and creativity to make an impact that will last.
Dreams and Goals My short term goal is to create a device to accurately measure material properties of liquid metals. In the long term I hope to aid in advancing measurement science and technology in ways that help promote innovation and sustainability efforts. I also hope that I can be an example and active participant in creating a more inclusive environment in the engineering disciplines.
Inspiration My high school math teacher had a huge impact on my life. He encouraged and believed in me to major in engineering in college. I thought it would be too hard and that I wasn't good enough but he would always contradict that and be extremely positive about my options to go into a technical career path.
Want to be an Engineer? I would tell any young woman who wants to study/become an engineer that they should totally do it! It is a very rewarding career and exciting to be able to be apart of creating the future. I would say that becoming an engineer is hard work, and it is a serious career because what one builds can impact the health and safety of others. At the same time though, being an engineer doesn't mean you don't have fun! I get very excited and do happy dances in my lab when something works out like I hoped it would :)
Hobbies Outside of work I like to go on hikes with my dogs in the mountains, go skiing, and cook all kinds of food.