Aura Herce-Duchini

Hi! I'm a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student at Northeastern University. My journey into engineering began when I was captain of a FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team in middle/high school for six years, and I loved it more than anything. During this time, I discovered my love for using CAD to craft innovative designs by assembling premade parts and creating custom components for 3D printing. As captain, I ensured that my teammates from the programming, electrical, and mechanical groups worked well together, coordinating timelines and access to the robot. The experience not only fueled my enthusiasm for engineering but also equipped me with valuable leadership and teamwork skills essential for thriving in a multidisciplinary team environment.

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My first co-op was at Nova Biomedical, where I gained hands-on experience in product design, prototyping, and testing of medical devices. My role involved designing complex parts and assemblies for prototypes, fixtures, and tooling. I conducted thorough testing and validation of product designs. Additionally, I optimized parts for injection molding and machining, focusing on efficiency and manufacturability. This experience broadened my understanding of product development and working in the medical device industry. My ability to be a quick learner and independently driven helped me succeed while working there.

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My second co-op was at Symbotic, a warehouse automation company. I took projects from concept to product, designing and releasing parts and assemblies for customer use after prototyping and testing. I learned a great deal about GD&T, and I got lots of practice creating detailed mechanical drawings for sheet metal, welded, and machined parts. Using my knowledge of GD&T, I also performed tolerance analysis on complex mechanical assemblies with up to thirty parts. Lastly, I documented design changes through Engineering Change Orders (ECOs). Overall, I loved working in the robotics industry and seeing projects I worked on in the field.

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I work as a TA at Northeastern’s First Year Engineering Center (FYELIC) where I get to help students with AutoCAD, MATLAB, C++, Arduino, and Solidworks related homework. I’ve found that helping students with these topics has helped me learn them even more. As a TA at FYELIC, I’ve also gotten more experience with woodshop machines, 3D printing, and laser cutting as I help students design and make their projects.

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In the future, I’d like to contribute to the field of robotics. I’m passionate about mechanical engineering and can't wait to work on exciting new projects!