I have always wanted to become an engineer, but ended up in different careers initially. I worked in demolition (right-of-way clearing), as a restaurant manager, and in private hospital security before I had the opportunity to go back to school, and jumped at the chance. Having experience as an amateur mechanic who enjoyed restoring Novas and motorcycles, and an enthusiastic DIYer and Maker, I had an edge in any project portion of the coursework, especially with regards to effective design and assembly.
My previous work experience, and my opportunities as an intern in startups where a premium was placed on being able to take ownership of projects well above what would generally be considered intern-level, has given me an edge in creating cost effective solutions famous for reliability and ease of maintenance. My design philosophy emphasizes modularity, and designing components for multiple roles when possible, especially if those components could be made more cost effective by economies of scale.
I currently live in Baltimore with my wonderful wife and Howard, the dog.