About me
I believe that getting your hands dirty is a great opportunity to understand how something works at a higher level. As a kid, I was constantly taking apart toys, home electronics and anything I could get my hands on. My parents quickly learnt that if you left a screwdriver within my sight then something in the house was going to get disassembled!
Mountain biking was and still is an obsession of mine, and it helped me grow an appreciation for hands-on mechanical skills at an early age. I was constantly repairing broken components or tuning my drivetrain before rides. A true cyclist cannot not only ride but also fixes their own bike! Working on bikes was my first introduction to more complex mechanical systems and it fuelled my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering.
While I have always been fascinated with innovative technology, it was not until I began my studies at Queen’s University that I realized the potential contributions I
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could make. Design projects were the highlights of my undergrad as they provided excellent opportunities to apply engineering design principles, work with clients, and in some cases help the community. A great example of this is a custom computer mouse I designed for an individual to help them mitigate their chronic wrist pain while working on their computer, an essential part of their job.
Leadership
In my third year, I co-founded Queen’s University’s first electric vehicle research and design team in recognition of the changing trends in the automotive industry. The team is working to make a global impact by designing streamlined approaches to sustainable conversions of gas-powered cars to electric. As last year’s team captain, I generated project management plans with the project leaders, led the development of the team brand, coordinated events and community engagement, and worked with team members to complete a variety of mechanical and electrical projects. I have highlighted a couple of the projects on my projects page.
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I love to share my story of this rewarding journey, so I have provided a link below that shares my experience in more detail. You can also learn more about our conversion of a race go-kart and a Jeep Wrangler!
While at Queen’s University I also worked as a teaching assistant for a first-year design project course. As a project manager I had the privilege of mentoring four teams as they tackled open-ended design challenges, something new to many of the students. A critical component to my role was guiding them through the process of developing technical models and learning how to effectively plan, execute and communicate their research and designs in a professional and concise manner. This was a very rewarding experience as I was able to witness the students grow their skillsets and develop into strong team members.
Continuing Education
As my time at Queen’s University came to an end, I realized that I wanted to tackle more complex concepts and further my knowledge in the field of solid mechanics and simulation analysis. I am currently pursuing my master’s at Purdue University where I am conducting research on the use of machine learning for analyzing high strain rates in composite materials. Machine learning is a fast-growing area of study and I am excited to be exploring its potential for mechanical engineering applications.
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To learn more about the research group that I am working with:
Interests
In my free time I enjoy spending time in nature, and I can often be found skiing, mountain biking or hiking. Weight training is another outlet for me that allows for setting personal goals and pushing my limits.
I also love new experiences and learning more about the world around me, making traveling another passion of mine. This past summer I had the privilege of traveling throughout southern Europe where I got to immerse myself in different cultures and try a variety of delicious foods.
