STEPHANIE TSITSIWU

Burtonsville, MD | 240-444-0638 | [email protected]

EDUCATION
University of Maryland - College Park A. James Clark School of Engineering College Park, MD
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering GPA: 3.55
Minor: Project Management May 2024
Awards: A. James Clark Legacy Scholarship (2020 - 2022), MD Space Grant Recipient(2022 - 2024), Dean’s List, Center
for Minorities in Science and Engineering Outstanding Intern (2023), Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering
Directors Award (2024)
Memberships: AmazonNext Scholars Program; Honors College (Honors Humanities Program); Chapter Executive
Board National Society of Black Engineers (2023-2024)
Relevant Skills: Solidworks, Arduino, Processing, ESP32 Microcontroller, Micropython, AdafruitIO, Autodesk Revit

TECHNICAL & CREATIVE PROJECTS

Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone: Wheelchair Inclusive Playground Design Feb - May 2024
● Led team of 6 people to build and test a ferris wheel inspired lift mechanism designed for playground applications
● Conducted iterative parametric design calculations to determine shaft elements, bearing selection and bolt
selection for load bearing components of ferris wheel lift
● Led weekly team meetings to hear updates from the group about progress on reports and to discuss challenges
with calculations, design constraints and formulate effective path forward
Special Problems: Biopsy Preservation Device System Development Feb - May 2024
● Developed temperature measurement system with K type thermocouples and Arduino
● Developed code for the temperature control mechanism of tissue freezing station
● Prototyped rotational mechanism for transportation of biopsy samples throughout tissue processing stages
Mechatronics and the Internet of Things (IoT): Laser Cannon Project Oct - Dec 2023
● Developed code for angle calculations such that the ESP32 device could access coordinates on a JSON file and
convert coordinates from cartesian to cylindrical coordinates
● Sketched housing for electronics keeping wire management goals at the forefront of design
● Won 1st place in laser canon competition and hit every target with precision and accuracy
ENME351 Final Project: Voice Activated Singing Bird Mar - May 2023
● Created code in Arduino and Processing that measured sound intensity and displayed that sound intensity on a
time x axis
● Prototyped a singing bird that sang and flapped its wings once a certain level of intensity was reached; singing
bird was made out of cardboard, servo motors and, paper clips and was controlled using an Arduino
Pump Design for Thermodynamics Application Jul - Aug 2022
● Implemented iterative design calculation in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) to determine optimal pump
dimensions to pressurize a tire to 60 psi.
● Designed CAD model with a height of 6 inches and a cylinder diameter of 2.5 inches in Autodesk Inventor.
The Place They Make (Honors Humanities Keystone) Jan - May 2022
● Developed a 5 episode series in Adobe Premiere Rush illustrating and narrating the diverse experiences of African
immigrants in the United States. Project won 2nd place which came with a $300 honorarium.
● Researched authentic experiences of African immigrants through articles, interviews, novels and artists
demonstrating deep understanding of the humanities and its impact on daily life.
● Experimented with different approaches to the topic (i.e., video essay, podcast, visual art).
Beam Design for Mechanics of Materials Class Competition Oct - Nov 2021
● Conducted iterative computation for I beam cross section dimensions to maximize strength to weight ratio.
● Implemented project management system developed in Excel for a team of 4 people to maintain project timeline.
● Calculated location and magnitude of maximum deflection using boundary conditions from project outline .
● Won 2nd place for strength to weight ratio in 3 point bending class beam competition.
Solidworks Final Project Oct - Nov 2021
● Designed, assembled, and animated a replica Fugetek Tripod with 20+ parts in Solidworks.
● Conducted Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on crucial components, further justifying original design choices made
by the device manufacturer.
Virtual Rube Goldberg Machine Apr -May 2020
● Brainstormed to create a virtual Rube Goldberg Machine, demonstrating knowledge of shear and normal and
bending stress within simple machines completing the task of returning Simba back home.
● Collaborated with the team to create a story around our video and integrate examples of simple machines.
 WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Dr. Chandrasekhar Thamire Oyster Cage Lab College Park, MD
Research Assistant Feb - May 2024
● Carriage system development for 3 axis of translational motion
● Constructing prototype that allows oyster cage to rotate about the x axis as well as translate in the y & z direction
UMD NSBE Chapter - Black Engineers Society (BES) Executive Board College Park, MD
Conference Planning Chair July 2023 - Present
● Managed a budget of $30,000 to take 34 BES Members to Atlanta, GA for the National NSBE 50th Conference,
booking flights and reserving hotel rooms
● Led weekly Conference Preparation meetings with Finance Zone and Chapter Advisors to discuss our plans for
convention and brainstorm ways to raise money and save money
● Communicated with the general body about conference selection process and educated members about the benefit
of attending conferences
L3Harris Technologies - Integrate Tactical Communication Systems Rochester, NY
Program Manager - Intern May 2023 - Aug 2023
● Improved Technical Assistance Agreement document submittal by inputting key program identifiers into a tool so
that PM’s can track when to submit updated TAA’s reducing submittal time from 3-6 month to 2-4 weeks
● Contributed in Proposal draft meetings and assisted with Factory Acceptance Test bringing in 4.7 million dollars
● Trained new team member in Tableau, Oracle Database System, and Customer Relationship Management
programs
Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering (CMSE) College Park, MD
Program Intern Oct 2022 - Dec 2023
● Plan, lead and facilitate activities that increase the engagement of minority students in STEM.
● Assist program director and other staff members in promotion diversity, equity and inclusion for engineering
students, while demonstrating creativity, initiative, and tenacity
A. James Clark School of Engineering College Park, MD
Clark School Ambassador Oct 2022 - Present
● Provide prospective students and parents with informative tours of campus.
● Took part in various admissions events to meet with and engage prospective students.
Home Depot / Sweet Frog Laurel, MD
Cashier May 2020- Oct 2022
● Assisted 50-80 daily customers with checkout and answering questions about products.
● Collaborated with a team of 7 other cashiers to coordinate schedules and distribute tasks.
● Managed daily tasks that included cleaning machines, running cash registers, and providing service to customers.
● Balanced register and store expenses at the end of every shift.
Be Thou My Vision Burtonsville, MD
Chief Executive Officer, Owner Aug 2020 - Jan 2022
● Directed marketing plan for the inauguration of Be Thou My Vision, an online store.
● Managed sales, inventory and budget, generating 50% sales within the first week of launch.
● Created an instagram marketing plan to promote t-shirts, sweatshirts and art work.