As the late, great Maya Angelou said: "My mission in life is not just to survive, but to thrive; And to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." Talk to me about Boston, LA, SD or PDX. I like constructive chaos & flow. I'm loyal
I currently work as an independent science and engineering journalist and solopreneur, starting my own business. I offer my journalism services in addition to professional speaking and career advising. I took a break from my high-octane engineering life. I always loved to write so I decided to do that instead. During the break, I realized I wanted to not just write, but start a side business that will keep going regardless of what I do next in my career. My work now is flexible, remote, with full autonomy.
Previously, I worked in Research and Development with fellow engineers to design and develop a rapid clinical diagnostic automated platform and consumables to help treat patients. My work was hands on, challenging, in-person, and I get to solve problems and learn something new every day. I also loved some of the teams I was on.
Today, my reason is because STEM can impact our society. Changing laws or creating societal change is challenging. But innovations like seatbelts, penicillin, vaccines, new materials, better medical procedures, learning that pulse oximeters aren't designed for darker skin - all of these innovations, when designed and made well, are a catalyst for improving society as a whole.
When I was younger, I wanted to do or make something hands on that would help people around the world but I didn't want to be a doctor. I liked biology and research projects too. I also thought designing a solution to a problem no matter how small seemed fun. I first got interested through a Girl Scouts program called Design and Discovery in my home state of Oregon. Then I did LEGO Robotics and loved that too.
EngineerGirl is a website sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). I once attended a NAE conference in college and got a bumper sticker that said "Because Dreams Need Doing". That simple quote is at the heart of why I do engineering - because I have dreams that need doing! =) That quote also reminds me to keep persevering whenever I feel sad.
B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California
- I'm following some aspect of the engineering design process every day.
- Brainstorming/sketching/designing: Sitting at a computer doing CAD modeling
- Conducting tests: Being in the lab watching a prototype I modeled or our company's design partner modeled and manufactured come to life. Observing the experiment as it runs and looking out for any failures - seeing if fluid control is working as expected.
- Presenting results and making decisions: Participating in collaborative meetings with different teams - Assay integration (scientists), instrument/hardware engineers, third party consultants, manufacturing engineers, and trying to make decisions about the best path forward or next steps to take after we review data
- Iterating through this process: smaller follow-up meetings, etc.
Knowing that what I do has purpose - I am helping people and making the world a better place. Also, being able to share my knowledge with YOU is another thing that keeps me motivated to continue as an engineer.
Solving a particularly challenging problem of controlling microliters of liquid in the right location for thermal heating and amplifying DNA. My theoretical analysis matched the experimental results we got! Which is very challenging to do in real life.
I've overcome all these challenges: Toxic manager, Self-doubt, Feeling overwhelmed by new technical tasks to learn and do.
I'm an only child. My parents moved to the U.S. in their 30s and 40s, so theirs is not the typical immigrant story. I have a small extended family. My grandparents lived in India when I was growing up so I really missed them and was envious of my friends whose grandparents only lived a few hours away.
Short-term is to get my business off the ground and bringing in income! My other short-term goal is to heal from the burnout I experienced and feel myself again. Long-term, my goal is to contribute to advancing knowledge and less painful treatments in the field of neuroscience or biomedical sciences. Who knows what I'll be doing, but as long as I'm making an impact, ideally for those even outside my country, that would be great.
Marian Croak inspires me because she developed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology which makes Zoom and virtual calls and remote work possible! Such cool technology and she persevered in the R&D space despite racial or gender bias that I'm sure she must have encountered.
Just know that there's really no such thing as a "typical" engineer, no matter what you read or hear. If you can work hard, like solving problems, and feel good when you overcome a challenge, you will make a great engineer! You don't need to be good at a specific skill, you just have to be willing to learn and work on your skills.
I enjoy volunteering, in civics or in STEM or in general. I love all forms of dance and I'm a trained Indian classical dancer. I recently went salsa dancing again, which was a joy. I enjoy hiking, exploring the city, spending time with friends, volunteering and watching TV on the weekends. I LOVE desserts of all kinds.
