Engineering with a purpose.

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, there was a dangerous shortage of masks and other protective equipment needed by frontline workers. With this in mind, I worked with a network of makers to mobilize and begin 3D printing face shields and N-95 shell masks to distribute to grocery stores, medical facilities, and people in need.

As this went on and the immediate need increased, I along with other engineers designed and manufactured a laser cut variation. Then I submitted for NIH emergency authorization for use in hospitals to expand our reach. With this authorization and the ability to rapidly manufacture, our efforts multiplied. The seconds it takes to laser cut raw material was exponentially faster than its 3D printed alternative. My living room turned into a face shield assembly line and my school’s laser cutter, a mechanism that enabled thousands the protection needed as COVID-19 rampaged the nation. Funded by community members and donations the project turned into SoCal Covid Response Team, designing, manufacturing, and distributing over 100,000 face shields across the United States, Canada, and even to rural communities in countries across the globe.