- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Company: UT Aerospace, Summer Engineering Advancement Counselor, GE Aerospace
- E-mail: etorres1@vols.utk.edu
Profile
Hello! I'm Emily Torres, and I'm a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering. My very first work experience was during my freshman year as an aerospace undergraduate research assistant. My main projects consisted of morphing the leading edge of an airfoil by using a parameterization method and creating a better design space for optimizing the airfoil. It was a really great research experience, and it sparked my interest for what it would be like to work in industry as opposed to academia. So, I started working at the Innovation and Collaboration Studio where I got to work with different machines and learn how to troubleshoot/fix them. I really loved the hands-on experience and the leadership opportunities it offered. I have been working there for 3 years and was promoted to a supervisor last fall 2022. I've learned so much and am excited to continue growing my leadership skills in this position for fall 2023.
In Summer 2021, I became a SEA (Summer Engineering Advancement) counselor. In this position, I guided incoming college freshmen in a virtual setting to transition and test into Calculus 1, tutored students in pre-calc and first year engineering physics, and mentored students to engineering college life. With the help of staff and other 5 counselors, we accomplished an 88% pass rate! Right after the program ended, I attended my first co-op rotation as a mechanical design intern at GE Aerospace in fall 2021. My responsibilities in this role included supporting aircraft engine manufacturing by delivering CIDs (changes in design) for producibility and assisting design engineers in nonconforming hardware analysis which supports product delivery. This rotation gave me my first taste of the corporate work life. It felt so different than anything I'd ever done, but I really liked it! It made me want to explore what it would be like to see the engine designs in the shop and getting to work with all the hardware. So, before my rotation wrapped up, I asked the co-op program leader if it was possible to stay for another rotation in the spring but as a manufacturing co-op. It was approved and I went on immediately into my second rotation in spring 2022.
I absolutely loved my second rotation as a manufacturing intern. I got to work with the operators on the shop floor, network with quality, safety, and maintenance leaders, get exposed to LEAN manufacturing, and gained more technical skills. I got to work on the Combustors and Structures Values team in Evendale, Ohio Manufacturing Operations, and it was honestly the people on my team that made the rotation so fun, productive and memorable. Projects given to me consisted of assisting with surplus equipment and asset management, leading physical inventory process, contributing to LEAN manufacturing efforts that improved workflow and organization, and editing machine operation planning. I stayed with this team for my third consecutive rotation in summer 2022. After my rotation ended, I knew that I wanted to narrow my interests to manufacturing engineering.
I am now currently (summer 2023) on my 4th rotation as a manufacturing intern in machining at GE Aerospace. It's still a little early in my rotation, but my responsibilities in this plant will be to conduct tool life audits for several operations, supporting EDM process stability and qualification efforts, and leading a Type Y removal process that will speed up production of parts and reduce consumable cost. So far, I'm enjoying the experience!
Lastly, a little about me, my main hobbies consist of rock climbing, playing chess, and going to salsa/bachata dance socials with friends. I have 2 1-year kitties, Nemo and Maui, that are high energy and get into so much trouble, but are the sunshine to my days! I'm very thankful for all the work experience I've gotten throughout my college experience. It's shaped who I am today, and gives me certainty that I love mechanical engineering and that it's the right path for me.
