My research brought me to Round Rock, Texas at Emerson Automation Solutions hardware design department, while taking a course online on FPGA Design and Architecture.

My Beck Fellowship research focused on exploring whether a specific engineering course adequately prepares students for careers in the corresponding industry. As part of the project, I worked as an FPGA engineer at Emerson and took a course in FPGA Design and Architecture, evaluating how well academic preparation aligns with industry demands. The study concluded that academic programs often emphasize intricate details, while mastering the fundamentals and developing the ability to deconstruct problems are the necessary skills for solving real-world engineering challenges.

All in all, I developed solutions to Emerson’s next generation APL CHARMs, while gaining valuable insight into the details on the hard skills needed to be an engineer. Meanwhile, if accepted, I plan to present my findings at the American Society of Education Engineers and use what I have learned to eventually teach engineering students of my own to be better engineers.