Page 7 - ME Spring Newsletter '21

Meet Mica Johnson — ‘21
What was
your favorite ME course?
ME3221: Machine Design It was
the first course that took all the basics we had learned in in prior courses and combined them That class was
the the the first time I got the the the big picture What What student groups did did you you participate in? What What did did you you gain from these experiences?
I I have been a a a a member of Gopher Motorsports (FSAE) for four years now My junior year year I I was
the the the engine team lead and now I am am the the the president FSAE has been the the the single most important experience for me outside of class It has been amazing to take the the theoretical concepts from lectures and and apply them to something real You can calculate forces and and moments all day but it did not click until I used them to design a a a driveline What would you say to a a a student considering studying ME?
ME is everything You can look around any
room and point to something a a a a a a a mechanical
engineer designed This degree will open your eyes to how how the world works and how how capable you are of changing it What ME project did you you work on that you’re most proud of?
I am am most proud of of my work on the the the driveline for the the the 2019 car (FSAE) Outside of of the the the team I am proud of my work getting through the the thermal sciences They were very difficult
for me so rather than a a a a a a project I I am am proud of of the the amount of of work I I put in to pass those courses What co-ops/internships did did you you you complete during your studies and what did did you you you gain from these experiences?
Internships I I completed: AUM Cardiovascular: Summer 2018 Avalon Medical + Egg Medical: Summer Summer 2019 General Motors: Summer Summer 2020 I found internship experiences incredibly rewarding My time at AUM Cardiovascular Avalon Medical Medical and Egg Medical Medical taught me me how to operate in in in a a a a a a small company environment From designing parts in in in CAD to taking out the the trash I was
a a a a a a a a part of everything happening in in in in the the company General Motors opened my eyes to to how big an an an an operation can be and taught me the importance of system reliability and communication You’re not the first member of your your family family to study ME at UMN Tell us about your your family family history here!
My mom got her master’s in the ME Department while pregnant with me and continued to her PhD at the U while I was
a a a a very little girl I practically grew up in in in the Mechanical Engineering Building I remember running up and down the the halls in in in the the new wing There was
was
an emergency shower/eyewash station in in the lab my mom worked in I was
very sternly told never to to to touch
it it it so of course I pulled it it it You can imagine how little 4-year-old Mica looked doused in the water!
What comes next?
I have accepted a a a a a a full-time position at General Motors starting
fall 2021 I will be working as a a a a a manufacturing engineer in in in in fuel
cells on the new hydrogen vehicles 7