A Multi-disciplinary Engineer

A Multi-disciplinary Engineer
Photo by Minku Kang / Unsplash

The Shelby Philosophy: Design Through Experience

Before Carroll Shelby became a legendary designer, he was a winning driver. He didn’t just understand the physics of a car from a blueprint; he knew how load transfer felt in the seat. He proved that the most iconic designs come from an intimate, visceral understanding of the product.

I carry that same philosophy into my work as a Mechanical Engineering student at SDSU. I don't fit the typical "CAD-only" mold because I believe the best engineers are those who truly know how to build the parts they design. My background is rooted in manufacturing, from manual machining and welding to the iterative speed of additive manufacturing with my Ender 3 and Bambu P1P.

The Feynman Perspective: Innovation via Broad Horizons

The second pillar of my approach is inspired by polymaths like Richard Feynman and Leonhard Euler. They demonstrated that deep expertise is most powerful when paired with broad horizons. For them, a problem in physics could be solved through the lens of biology, or a mathematical proof found through a love of puzzle solving. I believe that having interests outside your primary discipline isn't a distraction; it’s a competitive advantage for creative problem-solving.

This is why I don't stop at the mechanical. I self-host my own cloud infrastructure using Docker and Linux, allowing me to integrate AI and software tools directly into my engineering workflow. By understanding the "stack" from the hardware to the server, I can find more elegant, integrated solutions that a siloed engineer might miss.

Complexity in Action

I thrive on projects where these two philosophies collide. My recent work includes:

  • Rocketry: Used a 3D printed mold to perform a wet layup of the nose cone for our team’s IREC rocket, combining my additive manufacturing experience with composites manufacturing.
  • Project Management: Developing standard operating procedures in the SDSU Aerospace Club, combining my knowledge of our processes with my skills in documenting and leadership.
  • Home Server: This website is self-hosted by me, leveraging my skills using Linux and Docker, because I believe that creative solutions come from a wide breadth of knowledge.

This portfolio is a living documentation of that journey—failures, fixes, and final builds included.