A Generalized Specialist
I earned an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona and a B.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University. Since 2018, I’ve served as the lead engineer for the Maricopa Field Scanner Sensing Platform, originally part of the Department of Energy ARPA-E TERRA-REF project. I have done previous work in high-throughput phenotyping while I was obtaining my bachelors degree at Texas A&M University as well as the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). My interests lie mainly in sensors and robotics, operations research, and reliability engineering, but my skills are often needed for many additional tasks to support the research operations at the Maricopa Agricultural Center and further afield. I am currently employed by the University of Arizona as an R&D Engineer/Scientist III with the Pauli Lab in the School of Plant Sciences. As of 2022, I have registered as an EIT with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. I am pursuing full professional registration.
Through the course of my experience, I have developed and integrated equipment on ground vehicles, gantry cranes, and airborne platforms. I’ve designed both standalone and integrated equipment. Like many engineers, I have my area of specialization. To most effectively perform my work and support progress, I seek to develop generalizable skills and a working knowledge of other disciplines.
I fill the role of a software engineer, developing new programs and tools.
I serve as a civil engineer, designing structures and monitoring subsidence of field scanner railway foundations.
I act as an electrical engineer, designing temperature-controlling circuits and repairing cabling.
I perform optical engineering, designing solutions for remote sensing in harsh environments.
Most importantly, I apply biosystems engineering skills to combine this diverse skillset into creating synergistic and sustainable solutions to meet society’s growing agricultural needs.
