From leatherworking, carpentry, and glassblowing to mechanics, electronics, and programming, I’m always learning and practicing ways to design and create.

As a kid, I was obsessed with figuring out how to make things from scratch. I once burned out the motor in my family’s blender while trying to make paper out of recycled magazines and plant stalks. When I got a little older, I convinced my parents to send me to carpentry camp (where I made a full-size dinghy that may or may not have floated) and blacksmithing and glassblowing classes at The Crucible, an industrial arts space in West Oakland. If I wasn’t trying to build something, I was re-reading issues of HowToons and Make Magazine under the covers at night and doodling plans for inventions I wanted to make someday.

I continued to pursue my love of hands-on learning at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a concentration in mechatronics. Alongside standard rigorous mechanical engineering coursework, I had the opportunity to learn and practice traditional and modern manufacturing techniques, computer drafting, rapid iterative prototyping, human-centered design philosophy, multi-disciplinary system analysis, and project management over many design projects throughout the course of my degree.

After graduating, I worked full-time as a large-scale system automation engineer. My department was small, so I had the opportunity to wear many hats—from electrical panel design, hardware procurement, and controller programming to hands-on commissioning, on-call support, and operator training in the field. My resume includes details about my professional work, while this portfolio is focused on my creative projects.

I still take any opportunity to learn and apply new skills, whether in a professional setting or my personal projects. Check out my ongoing Zephyr Kite Steering and Nitinol Animatronic Eye projects!