Experience

1. Engineering and Culture in India Study Abroad

In May 2016, I participated in the Engineering and Culture in India study abroad program. Over two weeks, I had the opportunity to learn how the prosthetic Jaipur foot is made. In Indian culture, people are often times squatting for various reasons. Many prosthetic feet do not have flexible toes making squatting impossible, but the Jaipur foot is designed with these particular functions in mind. This experience was extremely helpful to show how important it is to keep cultural needs in mind when designing prosthetics. Additionally, I was able to meet with engineering students at Malaviya National Institute of Technology and see the impact their capstone projects were making in the community.

2. Skid Loader Assistive Technology Capstone Design

Through the design of an assistive technology for skid loaders, I have learned the ins and outs of product design from idea conception to prototype construction and testing. The challenges and struggles overcome in this project have taught me the importance of trial and error and how to efficiently handle failures and adjust the design accordingly. The success of the project also allowed me to present at a national conference and share my teams ideas on how to overcome this problem and implement a solution that could be manufactured and distributed to those in need of it.

3. Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare

I work for the Fuld Institute for EBP at The Ohio State University as a student worker. This department works to educate nurses and healthcare professionals on how to use evidence to provide the best and safest care for their patients. I have gained extensive skills in providing detailed research reports on EBP and sharpened my communication and problem solving skills.

4. Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh

I volunteer with a rescue organization that is responsible for the transport of animals from overcrowded shelters, natural disasters, and hoarding situations to shelters where they are able to be adopted into their forever homes. I have volunteered as a driver for a sea turtle rescue and have worked countless fundraising and community outreach events. Additionally, I have helped with the opening of a thrift store whose proceeds benefit the organization and a pet food bank that distributes 15 tons of pet food to the community every month.