How did you first get interested in the graphic arts, or decide to focus on graphic communications in school?
My dad worked in web e-commerce and in high school I was interested in graphic design and entrepreneurship. A family friend recommended the Cal Poly Graphic Communication program and explained that it is like getting an applied business degree.
Did you take any courses in high school that were related to graphic communications, or that prepared you for your planned career?
Nothing directly, I was self taught in video / graphic design and I learned WordPress through working with my dad. Many of my class projects left opportunities to use my video and graphic design skills so that is probably the most preparation I received.
How do you think going through your education process prepared you for the workforce?
Cal Poly Graphic Communication was an excellent foundation for teamwork, communication, and exposed me to the field that I now feel that I am a part of — printed electronics. I am very happy with the training I received, the only deficit I faced was that I lacked an engineering degree and I have shored that up in my graduate studies.
What company are you working for now and what types of products and services do they provide to their customers?
Enova Concepts is a veteran-owned next-generation electronic materials and manufacturing startup. We are using electronics printing techniques to solve problems related to future human habitation in deep space. The company is comprised of me and two other members of my university laboratory and we recently completed a project for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Before this, I worked for FUJIFILM Dimatix, industrial inkjet printhead manufacturer, as an Inkjet Applications Development Engineer. Before that, I was a research assistant to the printed electronics group at Fraunhofer IOF, an applied research institute, in Jena, Germany.
What job did you first have with the company when you started, what position do you have now, and/or what else have you done since joining the company?
I entered the company as a Senior Engineer and am still in this role. Within this role I do everything from formulate inks, run printing systems, design experiments, program machines, and write proposals.
What do you think employers are looking for in today’s workforce and the current industry environment?
I believe employers are looking for individuals who take ownership of the work they do, and who can express the direction that they are headed in their field and career.
Is there anything that you have found to be particularly different from what you initially expected, now that you’ve progressed through your work career for a period of time?
I spent much of my academic career feeling that I did not have adequate knowledge to work on the field I aspired toward (printed electronics). Something that has surprised me is that, after receiving my Ph.D. in a heavily printed electronics field, I can see now that there will never be a true lightbulb moment where one feels they know everything they need to do their job. Life is about continually learning, and to value the skills and knowledge we have gained along the way. I feel more confident after completing my degree, but I also recognize in retrospect that knowledge isn’t derived from degrees, it is derived from a curious mind and a willingness to try new things.
Have you changed your plans or ideas about what area or type of job you might like to have since you first considered the graphic communications field and began studying for a career in it? What led to those changes?
I had never heard of printed electronics before I started my graphic communication degree. Professor Malcolm Keif introduced me to this through a student work opportunity my first year and I held onto this dream of working in the field ever since. 15 years later, I am using the skills I’ve accumulated through this time to push a printed electronics startup forward.
Navigating this winding path was not easy, but I am thankful for the early exposure I received and I am glad that I stuck to this area.
What do you see yourself doing a few years from now?
I hope to find success advancing the field of printed electronics through Enova Concepts or a similar venture. I would love to work in a capacity that straddles industry and academia, and I also hope to use my experiences and platform to bridge the gap between graphic communication and other engineering disciplines. The central thesis of my work is that the graphic communication industry has honed disciplines that other industries can learn from, and I hope to prove it out as the printed electronics industry expands.
I would like to play a part in on-boarding other students and/or industries in functional printing, I think there are still many products and technologies yet to be realized by the application of printing machines to new fields.
Was being a recipient of a PGSF (now The Foundation for Graphic Communication Education) scholarship important for your journey, or did it have an impact on your future or ability to succeed in the industry?
Being a recipient of FGCE was absolutely pivotal in my journey. The financial support and encouragement I received has motivated me toward receiving my Ph.D. and has also kept me in touch with the graphic communication industry in ways that I would not have been.
