Rowan & Roots

What inspired you to pursue engineering, and why Rowan?

In High School, I developed a passion for math and sciences.  I went to a STEM symposium as a junior at Rutgers to learn about different careers.  The engineering one really spoke to me.  I remember learing about how perfumes were made, and how interesting that was.

I looked at and applied to several local colleges for chemical engineering.  Ultimately I picked Rowan due to its small class size and affordability.  I went to sit in on a clinic back when it was in Memorial Hall and the individual attention I was given helped to seal the deal.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Rowan Engineering?

I loved sophomore clinic when learned about baseball fields and their construction and we took a tour of the Blue Rocks stadium and after the semester ended a bunch of us went to the Phillies game (at the Vet!)

Was there a professor or class that shaped your path?

Dr. Newell’s Materials class. I found this so interesting and it really helped to guide me into a career in manufacturing.

What’s the most valuable skill you learned at Rowan that you still use today?

I firmly believe that the communication skills I learned at Rowan helped to set me apart and advance my career. As a hiring manager, when I have had Rowan Engineers come on board, I can still see this strength coming from their education.

What engineering problem or project have you worked on that you're most proud of?

About 10 years ago, I got involved in a non-conforming material issue that pretty much put a halt to production in our facility.  Of course, we didn’t understand the cause when we started looking into the problem. Solid, systematic problem solving helped me to drive into root cause and permanent corrective action. These are such critical skills for any engineer entering the work force to have.

How has your career evolved since graduating? Any surprising twists?

I’m currently the Facilities and Engineering Manager across two facilities, managing the Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance and Machine Shop teams there. My engineering team is comprised mostly of mechanical and electrical engineers. My 21 year old self, graduating with a chemical engineering degree would be very surprised to learn this.  The exposure I have gained in this role have really helped to strengthen my mechanical skills as well as developing an understanding on facility maintenance.

Engineering with Impact

What role does engineering play in creating real-world change in your industry?

Good problem solving skills and creativity is critical to making susatainable change.

What advice would you give to current Rowan Engineering students who want to make an impact?

Be humble, be curious! Ask a lot of questions and make no assumptions.

Your Engineer’s Lens

What’s something in your daily life that you now see differently because you're an engineer?

Hard question! As an engineer, I see everything differently.  From troubleshooting household appliances, reviewing car issues, driving on the highway and seeing construction… everything I see through the lense of my experiences. I am grateful for this perspective.

If you could design or improve anything in the world — no limits — what would it be?

I would develop a trash compactor to clean up the Indian ocean garbage patch and convert the plastic in there to something useful.

Quick Hits

First engineering job:

Process Engineer at Lenox China

Coffee or tea during all-nighters at Rowan?

Wawa coffee of course!

One tool or software you can't live without today:

Office 365, especially Teams!

Favorite place to eat near campus back then:

Italian Affair

Curious

“I became an engineer because…” I wanted a career that would challenge me and play to my strengths.