Major: Mechanical Engineering
Class: 2010
In May 2012, Andy was named “Medtronic's Endovascular Technical Contributor of the Year”, the least senior person ever to receive the award at Medtronic.
What is your job title, and can you briefly describe what you do for Medtronic?
My title within Medtronic is “Process Development Engineer”. The department I work in acts as a bridge between R&D and manufacturing to support the creation and transfer of robust processes to international manufacturing sites. My overall role within Medtronic personally, is to research, design, and develop robust manufacturing processes through innovation and collaboration. This includes machine development, tooling development, creation of training procedures, international travel so establish manufacturing lines, and development of lean manufacturing activities with Medtronic.
How has your MSOE education helped to prepare you for your career?
My education at MSOE helped me prepare for my career through a rigorous, fast-paced trimester system, and through its focus on hands on learning. The time I spent in the machine shop at MSOE has helped me the greatest overall, as it gave me a foundation for design, and showed me the importance of proper design practices.
What opportunities at MSOE helped to made your career choice a reality?
I believe if it wasn’t for my ME professors, Dr. Rizza and Dr. Liu, I doubt I would have gotten so heavily involved in the medical field. My experiences with my senior design project and taking the Medical Applications course reinforced my determination to enter the world of medical device design. I attribute much of my passion for working in medical device engineering; being hired at Medtronic; and my success there to several factors; those being: my hands-on device design and production work at MSOE, my senior design project and undergraduate research experience (both under the guidance of Dr. Robert Rizza), MSOE’s rapid-paced quarter system, and the strong desire to impact people’s lives.
My senior design project, An Implant for Passive Scoliosis Prevention, gave me the experience to see a design through to production and to develop a product with very few funds - the type of experience that Medtronic was looking for. My research work to design a special fixture to apply controlled torque on segmented bodies received national recognition when I was awarded Best Poster Finalist at the 2010 ASME SBC conference in Naples FL; just after presenting my poster- one day after interviewing with Medtronic in California - I was called by Medtronic with a job offer!
What advice do you have for current or prospective MSOE students?
The best piece of advice I can give to someone interested in any form of product development is to become familiar with a CAD package as quickly as possible, and to learn about the benefits and pitfalls of common forms of manufacturing (such as CNC, EDM, injection molding, etc). The ability to convey design intent quickly and clearly in a work environment is one of the most critical skills an engineer can have, along with the ability to visualize how a system will work in 3D space.
What would you tell someone who is considering going to MSOE?
It’s a great school with a very focused approach on application and hands on learning. The ability to understand the equations and theories behind something is critical, but being able to apply them in real life and to put things in to perspective is invaluable. Also, make sure to attend the Oktoberfest celebration on campus, it has free beer (for those 21 or older, of course).
What are your tips for success?
Find an industry you are passionate about and put in the effort to break into that industry. You will spend a lot of time at work, so it’s important to like what you do, not just to like being paid. This won’t just make the time pass quicker, it will also motivate you to excel as an engineer and really help your development within that company / industry. Make sure whatever you spend the next decades of your life on, it’s something you believe in and are proud of.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’ve recently started brewing my own beer, which is a really great application of what I learned in school, and a good excuse to enjoy beer more often. I also get involved in local racing events, and try to spend as much time as possible traveling around California. It’s nice to be able to make the decision to see snow or not, rather than having to deal with it constantly and without choice.