I'm a Resident Assistant (RA)

Fall 2023

In my senior year, I'm an RA in Duke's Craven Quad - home to almost 400 residents! In August, I moved in early to participate in two weeks of training covering community building, residential leadership, and safety procedures. My favorite part was our kick-off rally welcoming 1500+ freshmen - the Class of 2027 - inside the legendary Cameron Indoor Stadium, where they joined their new 'houses' as part of Duke's new QuadEx residential living and learning model. Halfway through the first semester, things are going great; I've hosted community events and faculty dinners, and I've loved getting to know the 25 students in my section.

🔗 community

Duke IGNITE Blender Workshop

April 2023

Duke IGNITE is a 2-day hackathon focused on learning and inclusivity. Teams are matched with an experienced student mentor to help teams scope, architect, and debug projects from start to finish. As an IGNITE mentor, I was excited to host a Blender 3D modelling workshop this past weekend! I taught a group of fellow Duke students the capabilities of Blender, my favorite piece of open-source 3D software, as it pertains to creating low-poly models for game development and animation. We went over the fundamentals of geometry-based modelling, topology, sculpting, and material assignment. Blender users can download the class's end-result .blend file, or watch the full workshop recording.

🔗 community

DukeEngage Uganda

Summer 2022

I was selected to participate in DukeEngage Uganda - an international engineering volunteer program based in the country's captital of Kampala. I lived in a house with 16 engineering students: eight from Makerere University, and eight from Duke. Over two months of living and working together in Kampala's dense urban center, I gained both a profound appreciation for the living and working cultures of Uganda as well as a working proficiency in Luganda, the predominant tribal language. I also became lifelong friends with my two Ugandan roommates, Edgar and James. Every day brought something new; whether journeying to crowded wet markets, the coast of Lake Victoria, or the country's rainforest heartlands, I was awestruck by the country's vibrance and variety. Standout memories include the 5-foot tall Marabou storks, the incredible fresh fruit, the resourceful and energetic street vendors, and, of course, the flocks of playful monkeys.

🔗 community

Low-Cost Phototherapy Machine

Summer 2022

During DukeEngage Uganda, I lived and collaborated with Biomedical students at Makerere University, to create novel engineering solutions for local healthcare related challenges. The program prioritizes well-scoped, high-impact problems using techniques that are suited for a low-income environments. To become better-informed about community needs, my team traveled to hospitals throughout Kampala, conducting ethnographic research by interviewing healthcare workers and observing current systems in place. After witnessing jaundiced newborns in overcrowded lightboxes, my team designed and built a low-cost phototherapy machine. Our functioning prototype was presented to medical staff at local hospitals and was assembled with materials totaling approximately 20% the cost of comparable industry solutions. Its electronics include recycled medical-grade LEDs and a locally etched PCB board. We also designed the hardware to be manufactured and assembled by local tradesmen, including window, furniture, and coffin makers. Our project was presented at Ugandan Safe Motherhood Conference, Health Promotion Conference Uganda, and Uganda Pediatrician Conference 2022 Link to the full poster 📃

🔗 community projects

Reverse-Engineering Prosthetics

April 2022

Duke eNable is a student-run organization that creates low cost, opensource, 3D printed prosthetic devices for amputees in the Durham community. Over the last year, I've served as a designer on Team Jack, which serves a member of the community who wants to resume running with weights despite the loss of his hand. I developed open-source hardware using my experience in CAD, additive manufacturing, and organic surface modelling. In particular, I was able to independently reverse-engineer the mechanism behind ‘Boa’ dial-tightened boots, and apply the same underlying technology to create comfortable low-cost prosthetic mounts. Through developments in 3D scanning, electronics fabrication, casting, and additive manufacturing, we’re still striving to improve prosthetic technologies in ways that lower costs and mechanical complexity, while keeping the aspects that most improve users’ day-to-day life. I'm excited to start a new role on team Leyman - which will also design a prosthetic for a Durham individual who lost his hand - next fall!

🔗 community

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