Education

Cornell University, College of Engineering, Ithaca, NY
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degrees
Masters of Engineering received in May 2007 (GPA: 3.60)
Major in Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Systems Engineering, Dean’s List

Bachelor of Science received in May 2006
Concentration in Aerospace Engineering, Gertrude Spencer Prize, Dean’s List

Relevant Courses
Feedback Control Systems, Applied Dynamics, Robotics, Spacecraft Engineering, System Dynamics, Project Management, Materials, Finite Element Analysis, Statics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Synthesis, CS – MATLAB, Fluid Mechanics

Work Experience

Leathers & Associates, Ithaca, NY
Research and Design Specialist / CAD Analyst, May 2007-Present

Responsibilities
• Design innovative community-built playground components optimizing safety, cost, aesthetics, and play value
• Coordinate with suppliers to assess the feasibility, cost, and efficiency of any potential components
• Draft unique playground designs in AutoCAD while ensuring that ASTM and CPSC standards are met
• Develop and support the AutoCAD user interface to optimize drafting ease and efficiency
• Headed the design of several exciting new components: The Climbinator and The Climbing Forest
• Headed the design of the entire playground in Vallejo, CA as well as consulted on-site during construction

Leathers & Associates, Ithaca, NY
Playground Design Intern, Summer 2006

Responsibilities
• Rewrote the custom AutoCAD user interface to take advantage of new data formats
• Maintained and reprogrammed design software to enhance efficiency

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Engineering Research Assistant, Summer 2005

Responsibilities
• Worked directly under Engineering Professor Michel Louge testing published granular flow theories
• Ran experiments on granular flow and impact restitution using slow-motion cameras and microgravity simulations in order to calculate the effects of gravity on the flow dynamics

Projects

Invented, designed, and oversaw installation of The Climbinator,
2008-2009

Responsibilities
• Independently conceived of a unique climbing experience involving both rigid and flexible climbing members
• Deconstructed the typical climbing wall to create a new aerial space consisting of several suspended climbing surfaces for children of all ages to explore and approach in new and creative ways each time they traverse it
• Considered safety, visibility, motion, child fitness, and play value while conceptualizing The Climbinator
• Directly coordinated the design and manufacturing of the individual parts with our out-of-town contractor
• Modeled the original idea in Unigraphics NX6 to offer suppliers and communities a graphic 3-D representation
• Built the world’s first Climbinator in Vallejo, CA; many more are being constructed across the country

Masters of Engineering Project: The Rocking Boat,
2006-2007

Responsibilities
• Helped design the “Rocking Boat” playground component as a consultant for Leathers & Associates design firm
• The Rocking Boat is a handicapped accessible component that gives children the sensation of being on the ocean by using the center of rotation of a suspended platform to simulate the center of buoyancy of a ship on the water
• Used Lagrange’s equation and the method of virtual power on a 4-bar model to analyze how the dimensions of the component would affect the natural frequency of the apparatus and the implications of different frequencies
• The Rocking Boat is now in playgrounds across the country and slated to be built in many more

Senior Design Project: The Newton’s Cradle,
2005-2006

Responsibilities
• Designed an experimental apparatus similar to “Newton’s Cradle” to test published ideas about collision theory involving the reflection of shock waves travelling through adjacent objects and the conservation of energy
• Modeled the apparatus in Solid Works and fabricated it independently in the machine shop

Skills

Software
Proficient in AutoCAD, Alias Design, Solidworks, Unigraphics, MATLAB, Microsoft Office, Windows, OS X

Construction
Able to use the machine shop and wood shop