Experience
Medical Technology
I am currently Global Marketing Manager of Innovation for the Worldwide Infusion Preparation & Delivery business unit at BD.
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In this role I evaluate innovation opportunities in the business unit's funnel based on clinical, technical, and financial viability. The intended users of these opportunities-turned-products are clinicians that interact with infusion technology. I use the Biodesign principles that I was trained in as part of this role.
Learn more about Ekyaalo Diagnostics here:
I co-founded and currently advise Ekyaalo Diagnostics, a global venture to make cytology-based diagnosis of breast cancer accessible to women and healthcare providers in low-resource settings. In this commitment, I have:​
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Secured $300,000 of funding for technology development within 8 months.
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Identified and validated unmet clinical needs through 6 months of field research in East Africa.
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Translated user needs into a frugally designed intervention with 95% cost savings to conventional approaches.
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Led the development of the Ekyaalo object detection model and mobile app using Python and Node.js.
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Formulated a sustainable implementation model by translating 100+ voice of customer interviews and establishing relationships with international stakeholders in Uganda.
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Completed a formative usability study of the tool with 50+ users in 2 institutions in Uganda, yielding a "highly user friendly" System Usability Score of 78.
Consultant @ VectorCam
Learn more about VectorCam here:
I conducted usability evaluations for a novel smartphone-based mosquito surveillance tool in Mozambique over the course of 10 days. This commitment involved:
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Training groups of Mozambican field entomologists in the use of the VectorCam device.
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Benchmarking device usage on effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, learnability, error prevention, and accessibility.
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Evaluating and making recommendations for the Design for Assembly of a frugally designed CDC mosquito light trap.
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Quickly learning and communicating in the Mozambican language, Portuguese! (My Spanish came in handy :) ).
New Product Development Engineer @ W. L. Gore and Associates
Most of my tenure at W. L. Gore and Associates was in Phoenix, Arizona, where I served as a New Product Development Engineer for a next generation endovascular device and delivery system. My time at Gore laid the foundation for my interest and future work in medical technology and I'm thankful for the technical growth and professional experiences I had as a Gore associate. ​​​
Manufacturing and Vehicle Engineering
Process Engineer @ W. L. Gore and Associates
I started out at W. L. Gore and Associates as a Process Engineer for a line of heavy duty cables used for spaceflight. Fun fact - Gore cables are used for entry-landing-and descent of the Mars Rover and are used on the rover itself! In this role, I learned the ins and outs of tensile testing on an Instron machine and designed a statistical study to inform the process improvements I made for a piece of equipment on the manufacturing line.
Manufacturing and System Analysis Lead @ Hyperloop at Virginia Tech
Learn more about the Hyperloop pod I worked on here:
Joining and eventually co-leading this engineering design team was one of the most impactful experiences I had during my Undergraduate years. Highlights of my work include:
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Machining vehicle components like the breaking module, chassis, and suspension arm using a manual mill and CNC router.
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Creating a half-car model on MATLAB Simulink to predict wheel forces and displacement on the vehicle.
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Advancing to the Hyperloop competition at SpaceX in 2018 and 2019.
Rolls Royce Aeroacoustics Researcher @ Virginia Tech Advanced Propulsion and Power Lab
I was a design engineer on a research team developing a non intrusive measurement technique to determine jet engine thrust. I designed a developmental test rig used on a JT15D engine, created, and tested novel horn designs to maximize the decibel level of an acoustic generator used for the study.
Mentoring and Instruction
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Graduate Teaching Assistant @ Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering
I serve as a teaching assistant and mentor to graduate and undergraduate students in the Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering and associated makerspace.
Academic Associate @ Arizona State University
I served as an industry instructor for the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program for undergraduate students at Arizona State University. I advised undergraduate teams on management, problem scoping, product design, presentation skills, and engineering fundamentals.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant @ Virginia Tech Department of Mechanical Engineering
I was Teaching Assistant for the Automotive Engineering course at Virginia Tech. In this role, I reinforced concepts related to vehicle performance, drive train, suspension, steering, and brake systems and graded student assignments.
I am a volunteer mentor serving underprivileged youth in Central Phoenix. Through 1-1 mentoring, I work with my mentee on topics such as self-esteem building, goal setting, college applications, and scholarship writing. I play a role in helping my mentee overcome the cycle of generational poverty and adversity.
Education
MSE in Bioengineering Innovation and Design @ Johns Hopkins University
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After working in the medical device industry for a few years post-Bachelor's degree, I returned to academia at Johns Hopkins University, where I joined the Master's cohort at the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design. Along with being trained in the Biodesign process, I got to learn from professors who were pioneers in their fields. It was here that I discovered a new personal mission: to design health care solutions for marginalized communities - specifically in international settings.
BS in Mechanical Engineering
Minors in Computer Science and Spanish
@ Virginia Tech
At Virginia Tech, I pursued projects in the automotive, aero-acoustic, and manufacturing engineering disciplines while expanding my interests in computer science and passion for the Spanish language.