Engineering Design Innovationat the SEGAL DESIGN INSTITUTE, McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

About

Ernesto wants to use engineering and design to make a difference. He aspires to design products that are convenient, accessible, and sustainable. He believes that the products people use may have desirable implications that go beyond their core function, but those potential benefits cannot be reaped if the product fails to connect with the user. Therefore, he wants to learn how to discover user needs effectively and how to meet them creatively.

Why EDI?

While studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ernesto developed a passion for design. The experiences he gained in mechanical design and design thinking courses encouraged him to pursue a career in design. Ernesto chose EDI because he wants the human-centered approach to design to be so ingrained in his thinking that it is unconscious and ever-present in his design process.  He aspires to design products with which people interact. He also looks forward to being exposed to the ideas of innovative thinkers with similar interests yet different backgrounds because he hopes it will help him nurture his own innovative mindset. Lastly, Ernesto hopes that the EDI program will afford him the experience of bringing his ideas to life and testing and refining them in a meaningful way.

Education

BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Experience

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Texas A&M University
Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign