About Me!

My road into UAS began as a freshman in college when I enrolled in the newly created Unmanned Aerial Systems major at Purdue University. Before this, I had little to know experience in the UAS field, and my primary goal was to be a UAV operator with this career choice. However, upon the completion of each of my years in school and my previous internships, my career goals have grown and developed about as frequently as the industry itself.

As a senior in college, I have acquired two certifications as well as three previous internships that have demonstrated my real world experience. My certifications include Private Pilot (License 3879902) obtained in June 2016 and a Small UAS Operator (License 3925170) obtained in October 2016. Both of these certifications have played major roles in being hired for my past three internships with Weihe Engineers, Purdue University, and BNSF Railway all of which can be read about here in my first blog post!

 Also, my skills are outlined on my LinkedIn page, I would love to connect with you and discuss potential growth opportunities or answer any questions related to UAS in your company! Some of my accomplishments highlighted from newest to oldest are:

  • With BNSF I,
    • Inspected bridges using DJI aircraft 
    • Used infrared cameras to spot criminals in train yards at night
    • Met with vendors to discuss new products that may assist in improving the UAV technology for increased safety and efficiency.
    • Shadowed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rail inspections
  • With Purdue University I,
    • Communicated with local airports for safe operations within controlled airspace
    • Flew demonstration flights for the Purdue University Aviation and Transportation Technology department
    • Gathered data on plant growth using an RGB camera and a LiDAR sensor equipped to a M600
  • With Weihe Engineers I, 
    • Created 2D &3D models using Agisoft photo stitching software
    • Reported on weekly UAS technological updates by way of a company newsletter
    • Learned to use differential GPS to establish ground control points for UAS operations
I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work for three established companies in their related fields, and during my time with them I have learned many great skills related to UAS technologies. I am looking forward to the next company I work for and where how we can expand their UAS program. 

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