“All things are an exchange for fire, and fire for all things, as goods for gold and gold for goods.”
Heraclitus
A Selected Project: 3D Printed Jet Engine
Working with classmate Sean McSherry, I received funding and support from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lafayette College to 3-D print a jet engine model designed by Gerry Hamilton for a project that applied the knowledge we learned in an Intro to Thermodynamics course. Please see the .pdf to view the details of the project.
A Selected Event: Our Beloved Community
Our Beloved Community is an annual event at Lafayette, where prospective students come to campus and discuss issues of diversity and inclusion. As a diversity recruitment intern within the admissions office, I had the idea of showcasing the IDEAL center for Innovation through this event by making CHANGENT rings that students can have to remind them to be advocates for social justice. Also, working alongside Professor Ashley Cramer, I delivered talk entitled "The Power of 3D Printing in Social Justice" which may be seen in the PowerPoint attachment below:
DESIGN
BUILD
IMPLEMENT
A Work in Progress: Innovation Space
Currently, Lafayette College does not have a sufficient space where students can collaborate in a space that supports innovations and creativity. Thus, I am currently working with the Director of Engineering Dr. Scott Hummel to create such a place. Here is my first working CAD model:
A Selected Project: Project Print!
Working within the Additive Manufacturing Institute of the IDEAL Center for Innovation, I created a pilot project called Project Print! with the intent of introducing the concept of additive manufacturing to my class while also creating a shared identity with some printed school pride. Using a metal ExOne printer, I personalized key chains for those in the Chemical Engineering class of 2017 who expressed interest.
An Example: Entrepeneurship and Strategy
Working within the IDEAL Center for Innovation, I helped develop and design a cash prize competition in an attempt to help increase entrepreneurship and innovation on Lafayette's campus. The top prize winner was awarded five thousand dollars and currently holds a provisional patent.
EXCEL Research: Implementing Life Cycle Assessment to Understand the Environmental and Energy Implications Associated with Biodiesel
The devil is often in the details, and environmental and energy systems are no exception. Through this research, I was able to understand the complexity behind what it means to be environmentally sustainable through applying Life Cycle Assessment studies to the production of biodiesel. Sometimes the data reveals that the unintuitive answer is actually the correct one. Please click on the .pdf to see my final research poster.
Lafayette College Bridge Year Initiative
After my experience with Global Citizen Year, I have become a strong advocate for the bridge year. Thus, I am proud to say that after founding and starting the Lafayette College Bridge Year Initiative, Lafayette College and Global Citizen Year have formally partnered to encourage Lafayette students to take a bridge year. The class of 2021 will receive admissions letters that have a paragraph encouraging students to pursue programs such as Global Citizen Year. To learn more about this initiative, please see the .pdf.