The Senior Design Showcase is the pinnacle of a UCF engineering student’s academic journey. It’s a chance for students to develop, design and present innovative and creative projects that are judged by industry professionals and alumni. The best projects win awards – and some can even jumpstart careers.
Mechanical engineering alumnus Miles Radliff credits his Senior Design project for helping him land a job as a mechanical design engineer for Sciperio, a research and development firm that specializes in digital manufacturing, bioprinting and printed electronics.
Radliff was part of the Multi-Material 3D Printer team, which designed and built a prototype of a 3D printer that can use different materials such as ceramics or polymers. The team specifically designed the prototype for MAE Assistant Professor Dazhong Wu, whose research focuses on manufacturing. What sets the printer apart is the fact that it’s designed for research applications and is much cheaper than similar printers already on the market.
Radliff specifically worked on the 3D motion system, which controls all of the moving parts during the printing process. He says he spoke about the project in his interview with Sciperio, and the rest is now history.
The UCF alum works at Sciperio as a mechanical design engineer, which they refer to as a “Gizmo Developer.”
“Each printer has many functions; each function requires a specific tool. We call these tools ‘gizmos,’” Radliff says. “It is my job to define product requirements, design, prototype, iterate, manufacture, and record all aspects of any gizmo I may be in charge of.”
Engineering was a natural choice for Radliff, who has always been interesting in building things and has an innate curiosity about the world. He says he chose to attend UCF for its prestigious engineering programs, which not only helped him to start his career, but allowed him to broaden his perspective on how things work/the world.
“Engineering allowed me to learn about the world with my own two hands,” Radliff says. “I am able to ask a question and learn how something might act through simulations or hands-on experience.”
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio