Interdisciplinary Learning

Engineering Capstone: Designing, building, and validating a fire-resistant wind tunnel

For my senior capstone project spanning two semesters, I worked on a mechanical engineering design team to design, build, and validate a full-scale wind tunnel system. Ultimately, this project aims to develop a wind tunnel capable of integrating an ember-generating device to simulate wildfire-like conditions for the testing of various biomasses (e.g., bushes, foliage, etc.). As the only non-mechanical engineer on the team, this was a valuable experience interacting with engineers outside of my discipline, as well as, participating in a more 'traditional' manufacturing engineering practice. As a member of this team, my primary role was to theoretically calculate, and subsequently assess, the flow parameters of potential wind tunnel designs (e.g., laminarity, homogeneity, speed, temperature, etc.). Further, I gained valuable experience in the hands-on machine process of working with sheet metal, welding perforated square tubing, and general metal fabrication.

Presenting research at interdisciplinary conferences

Idaho IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Summer Conferences 2018 & 2019

In Summers 2018 and 2019 I had the privilege of presenting my research at the culminating INBRE Summer Conferences. At the 2018 and 2019 Conferences, the majority of presenters and attendees were outside the field of Engineering. Accordingly, I spent the 3 day Conferences learning about the incredible research being conducted by biologists, microbiologists, plant scientists, psychologists, etc. It was an eye-opening to experience to realize that, while superficially our research appears quite different, many times my research overlapped in ways I would have never anticipated.

Additionally, these Conferences taught me how to present my highly specific tissue engineering research in manner more conducive to an audience with my different backgrounds. I quickly learned when its appropriate to drop the technical jargon of my field in favor of more broad explanations.

Top: Statewide INBRE Summer 2019 Research Conference (photo courtesy of Jerome Poulos Photography)

Honors integrated seminar

Fall 2018

During my time in GCSP, I hope to strengthen my understanding of how my passions can benefit our global community as well as my technical skills. To begin accomplishing this, I took the course Honors Love & Happiness to learn more about myself and the society in which I live because I recognize that some of the best engineers are well rounded individuals who understand not only the world around them, but also what drives them internally.

Google Sites

Report abuse