Why did you choose to attend UB?
Coming from Lancaster I had gone to UB for football and basketball games from an early age. I had a few friends and neighbors who attended UB when I was making my college decision who told me how great the University was. Finally, when visiting the school I saw how many opportunities the school offered and I knew I wanted to be a part of the UB community.
Why did you decide to major in MAE?
From a young age I was always interested in how things worked and how to fix things. This transferred into my high school courses as I was part of the Project Lead The Way engineering program. My father is a Mechanical Engineer and listening to what he would work on always interested and amazed me, which ultimately pushed me to want to be a Mechanical Engineer as well.
What is your fondest memory so far at UB?
My fondest memory at UB is being awarded the MAE Young Professional Student Excellence Award for my internship work at Moog Inc. It was humbling to be recognized for my work in the Space and Defense Group and I truly couldn't have been as effective without the engineering principles and theory learned in my classes at UB.
What is your favorite thing about living in Buffalo?
My favorite thing about being in Buffalo is the community feel. There is always something to do and everywhere you go you feel like a part of the Buffalo food scene and sports community.
What was your involvement outside the classroom? (i.e. student clubs, athletics)
I am a part of the University's Honors College. I also played intramural volleyball and intramural roller hockey through UB. In my Sophomore year I completed an Engineering Intramural working with Xylem to test the feasibility of 3D printing heat exchangers. Outside of the classroom I worked at Wegmans throughout college. Once I started the MBA program, I worked as a Graduate Assistant in the School of Management.
Were you involved in internships and/or undergraduate research? What was that like?
Through 3 summers I worked as an engineering co-op with Moog Inc. in the Space and Defense Group. This was an awesome experience as I was able to apply the concepts I learned in the classroom everyday. By using the concepts I had learned, I was able to stretch my understanding even further and better realize how in depth the engineering process truly is.
Throughout my internship blocks at Moog I worked on both Space program and Defense programs and worked in Design Engineering, Analysis, and Product Engineering. This really helped me define what I liked and what I would want my future, full time position to be like.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation I will be joining Moog as a Design and Development Engineer in the Space and Defense Group.
What is your advice to current and incoming MAE students?
Stay engaged in class and get involved often outside of it. It is important to learn the concepts and formulas in class, but actually applying them opens up a new level of learning in learning from mistakes made. You will make mistakes, but grow from them and carry the things learned into new projects and experiences.
