Mechanical Engineering
Contact Information
Biography
I am a mechanical engineering student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, pursuing a minor in integrated business and engineering through the Heath IBEP program. I enjoy figuring out how different parts of a problem fit together and how a system can be improved as a whole. I tend to look ahead at what something could become, then work through the details needed to make it happen. I have found that I learn best by taking on difficult projects, figuring out what I do not know, and staying with the problem until I have a solution that works. Outside of engineering, I enjoy fishing, golfing, weightlifting, and following sports.
At ProtoXYZ, a prototype CNC manufacturing company, I have been able to work across several parts of the manufacturing process. I perform inspection and quality work using engineering drawings, GD&T, and precision metrology, but I have also reverse engineered components, designed fixtures in Fusion 360, operated CNC equipment, assisted with assembly, and stepped into production wherever help was needed. That experience has helped me understand how design decisions affect what actually happens on the shop floor. Outside of work and class, I also like taking on technical projects that challenge me to learn across disciplines. Most recently, I researched, designed, and built a 4 ft. × 8 ft. CNC router, which required me to bring together mechanical, electrical, and motion-control systems into one working machine.
I joined Heath IBEP because I want to understand more than just the technical side of engineering. I am interested in how engineering connects to business strategy, operations, leadership, and the decisions that shape an organization. IBEP gives me the opportunity to strengthen those areas while working with students, faculty, industry partners, and mentors who approach problems from different perspectives. It also helps me look beyond the technical details and understand how engineering decisions affect a project, team, and business as a whole.
Professionally, I am most interested in industrial automation, robotics and mechatronics, advanced manufacturing, and defense. In the near term, I would like hands-on mechanical engineering experience in areas such as design, R&D, manufacturing systems, product development, and prototyping. Long term, I want to grow from a hands-on engineering role into technical and engineering leadership, where I can stay close to the technical work while also leading teams, projects, and broader engineering initiatives.
