Major: Mechanical Engineering
Class: 2011
What is your major and expected graduation year?
Mechanical Engineering, 2011
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised here in Milwaukee.
Why did you choose MSOE?
I chose MSOE at the last minute because of its size. I was originally going to go to Purdue, Michigan, or University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, which are much bigger schools. But having professors teach all labs and lectures is a great benefit of a small school like MSOE. Also, I love Milwaukee and this is where all my friends and family are.
Describe your internship with NASA. What did you work on while there?
I was at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. It was the most memorable summer of my life. I got to work with expert scientists, listen to presentations about going to Mars, see prototype lunar habitats, and even see a private flying demonstration of the F-22 Raptor at the neighboring Langley Air Force Base.
As an intern, I belonged to the Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication team. It sounds complicated, but really it’s just a machine that melts metal wire with an electron beam to make parts on earth and in zero gravity environments. I was assigned to investigate the dynamics of the machine (it had six axes of motion plus wire feeding). I eventually found that the motions were under damped (shot past the target speed), so I worked with the programming until I got them under control.
How did you hear about the internship opportunity with NASA?
I literally just Googled “NASA internships” and found it and applied.
What are your duties as a NASA Student Ambassador?
As a NASA Student Ambassador, I’m essentially responsible for representing NASA wherever I’m requested. I also talk to people at NASA events and recruiting events about available internships and opportunities at NASA. There’s also an online virtual community I participate in, with some blogging, polling and general discussion.
How are Student Ambassadors selected?
I applied to be a NASA Student Ambassador just as my internship was ending. They let us know in an email to all the interns that they could recommend a few of us, and I was one of them.
What do you hope to do after graduation?
After MSOE I’ll probably go to UW-Madison for graduate school. I want to eventually work in the renewable energy field.
Would you recommend other students to pursue internships?
Yes, definitely. It’s definitely an eye-opener. It gives you focus and excitement for finishing school, not to mention it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. Here’s an article I wrote explaining how much it’s worth it.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’m a big Brewers and Packers fan, so I can usually be found dragging various friends to games to tailgate with me throughout the year.
Photo courtesy of Alexandra Artusio-Glimpse.