How do you see technology and innovation impacting the future of engineering and society as a whole?

I think AI will greatly impact how engineering work is done in the future. AI has seen wide usage in automotive manufacturing, with companies such as Rolls-Royce and Nissan using it for supply chain management, vehicle design, and predictive maintenance. AI has already entered the pharmaceutical space for use in drug discovery, and its next natural step is manufacturing. Pharma is a conservative field, but as the world moves towards industry 4.0, it’s only a matter of time before some of the manufacturing use cases shown above are brought into our work. AI has even shown the potential of becoming creative through software such as Chat GPT, so who’s to say that design work won’t eventually be in its crosshairs?   

Can you share an example of a project or idea you have been working on that you believe will shape the future in a positive way?

I was fortunate to work at a client’s RNA manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, MI. I came out of college post-pandemic and immediately worked on the most critical technology the pharmaceutical industry has seen in years. If RNA vaccines continue to develop, they could be a game changer in treating dozens of diseases.  

How do you stay current on emerging technologies and trends in the field of engineering to ensure you are creating solutions for the future?

As its treasurer, I’ve been heavily involved with ISPE Boston’s Emerging Leaders Committee. I have been very fortunate to meet people from around the industry at social events and informational seminars. ISPE events bring together experts from many fields and give me an idea of where things are headed and what innovative technology they are working on.  

What aspects of your work as an engineer do you find most rewarding and why?

I’ve enjoyed the creative aspects of engineering. Getting a proposal for a new project and thinking about how we can turn it into a fully functioning facility is a challenging exercise, but I find myself immersed in it. Often, we’ll come across a topic that seems straightforward at first, but once you dive into the details, it becomes an onion with layers that need to be pulled back.

Bhattamisra, Subrat Kumar, et al. “Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Research.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 11 Jan. 2023, https://www.mdpi.com/2504-2289/7/1/10.

Mewari, Madan Mohan, and Gurudatta Kamath. “17 Remarkable Use Cases of AI in the Manufacturing Industry.” Birlasoft, 1 July 2021, https://www.birlasoft.com/articles/17-use-cases-of-ai-in-manufacturing.