About
Field notes from someone who takes things apart.
I grew up in Durham, North Carolina, in a family that measured weekends by how far you could get from pavement. Fishing, hiking, and travel were not hobbies. They were the default setting.
Lures
Some lures catch fishermen. Others catch fish.
My step-grandfather used to love that quote. I spent years trying to figure out which were which.
At a pond we fished as kids, one spot had a submerged log that ate lures. Instead of avoiding it, I started recovering the lost ones and looking at what they had in common: shape, color, structure, where the hook sat. Then I used CAD and a 3D printer to design my own, testing for better action and fewer snags. Hypothesis, prototype, test, repeat. I did not know it was engineering yet.
The proof
Most of the prototypes did not swim right. A few did.
The printed lures that worked earned a place in the box. The rest taught me something about action, weight, and where a hook should sit. The fish are the only honest reviewers.
Places
I travel to fish, climb, and see how other people live.
Some of it is the fishing. Some of it is family on two sides of the Atlantic. Most of it is curiosity about how a place works and what people there care about. I come back with photos, a few new ideas, and usually a sunburn.
Alaska
Salmon streams, bears on the far bank, and the first time I understood that fish follow rules you can learn. Best week of fishing I have had.
The Pyrenees and the Alps
Climbed to reach water most people never see. Each lake had its own logic and its own way of humbling you. A hammock in Switzerland counts as a summit.
Scotland and Italy
Family on both sides of the family tree. Fall 2026 I am at the University of Edinburgh, with weekends in the Highlands, Malta, and Norway.
Utah and the West
Red Canyon, Arches, the Deschutes. Desert hikes and a rainbow trout on the lower river.
The Carolinas
Home. Duke, DEVOL, the lakes I learned on, Kiawah and Bald Head with the cousins, and duck season with Dad.
Uganda, by proxy
Never been. Spent a semester designing for a Kampala ward anyway, which taught me how much you learn by asking the right people the right questions.
Outside
Things I do when nobody is grading.
Mountain biking, skiing, fishing, swimming, cliff jumping, skydiving, paddleboarding, hiking, lifting, and photography. The camera comes on most trips.
Builds
Things that probably should have stayed assembled.
- Rebuilt and modified 3D printers before I trusted them with a lure. That is where the maker habit started. As a kid I took a broken printer apart and turned it into a toaster oven, then used its motors and rails for a run of other projects
- Built my own computers. Ran a tiny crypto mining rig once, mostly to learn about thermals and power
- Two Boston Whalers restored, a Carolina Skiff gutted, rebuilt, and sold, an Alfa Romeo Giulia finished, and a 1970s Porsche 911 still in progress
- Woodworking and home restoration on lake and beach houses, including an osprey nesting platform that is still in use
Quick answers
Things people ask.
Why mechanical engineering?
I like to tinker, build things, and know how they work. The medical side came later. I grew up surrounded by medtech and I like work that helps people, so that is where I have pointed it.
Why investing, as an engineer?
I want to be a founder one day. That means knowing how a business works from every angle, not only how to build the product. Diligence is the fastest way to see a lot of businesses from the inside.
What are you reading or researching?
Health and fitness technology, mostly the measurement side. What wearables actually measure well, what they do not, and where the gap between the two is a product. Also whatever the lab needs me to understand this week.
What do you do when you are not working?
Fishing, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, lifting, photography, and tinkering with something. I am usually on a trail, on the water, or in a garage.
Outside the lab
Time given
Volunteering and fundraising, past and present. The full philanthropy page.
Present
Huntsman Cancer Foundation
Fundraiser, Sigma Chi Derby Days, Ongoing
Miles for dollars. Part of the Duke Sigma Chi team that raised a record $36,805 for cancer research last year.
Read morePast
Wonder Connection
Student lead, STEAM programming, High school
Ran STEAM activities for children during hospital treatment.
Read morePast
WISER Club
Revival and fundraising lead, Completed
Restarted a dormant club supporting girls’ education in Kenya and grew its participation.
Read morePast
Durham Nativity School Tutoring
Tutor and program lead, High school
Tutored middle school students and recruited more tutors to expand the program.
Read morePast
Rise Against Hunger
Volunteer, club leader, and alumni assistant, 2019 to 2024
Helped produce 250,000+ meals over five years and raised $20,000, double the goal.
Read moreEarly experience
Where it started
Early jobs, kept here to round out the picture.
The short version
At Duke I study Mechanical Engineering with a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. My work spans surgical robotics, organ preservation research, assistive device design, and early-stage investing. Outside the lab I am usually on a trail, on the water, or tinkering with something that probably should have stayed assembled.