Face front, true engineers! Alas, this will be my last editorial with Machine Design. I will be taking on a new role at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. My departure is bittersweet, as the last four years at MD have been life-changing. My first job was in aviation; I worked for Sikorsky Aircraft designing helicopters in its flight control department. The work I did there helped me develop my logical thinking ability to solve problems in creative ways. Working on government contracts and having to face pilots and generals about design problems and solutions was also excellent for working out my nerves.
The problem I had working in aviation was that I wasn’t growing as an engineer. I knew that there was a world outside of the field that I wasn’t being exposed to; that’s why I decided to take the leap and work at Machine Design. And the last four years have indeed changed how I view engineering. My first eye-opening experiencing was attending the UBM conferences in Anaheim. There was so much to learn and see from 3D printing, advanced simulation, different robots, medical devices…the list goes on. That was when I knew that this job was going to teach me so much about the wider world of engineering, and I was excited to share that world with our readers.
With technology changing on an exponential curve, engineers need to grow and adapt. In the last four years alone, I have seen significant changes in the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, just to name a few. Society will turn to engineers to explain these technologies, and engineers need to be the masters of these technologies to teach others. My main goal has been to help our readers understand what is on the horizon and how to prepare for it. I’m confident that Machine Design will continue to lead our readers to explore new and exciting directions.
I want to personally thank Karen Field for her guidance this past year as the new content director. Our editors Steve and Jeff are true professionals, great writers, and passionate about their work; thank you for your support. The creative content team of Jeremy, Roger, and Tony are wonderful teammates, and I appreciate all your work and help. For the other writers within our group, thank you for your hard work. To the management and sales force of Machine Design and the Design Engineering & Sourcing Group, thank you for your leadership and helping us to raise awareness of our engineering brands. Your hard work on the front lines and knowledge of our work help make us a leader in this industry. Many thanks to past employees who helped me over my time here, and a special thank-you to Nancy Friedrich for introducing me to this world of engineering journalism.
