Noah Plues
Lubbock,TX
Summary
Mechanical Engineer with a strong foundation in additive manufacturing and biomedical design. Passionate about advancing patient-specific solutions through innovative research in biofabrication, materials engineering, and mechanical system design.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Mechanical Engineer
Center for Emerging Energy Sciences
Lubbock, TX
04.2023 - Current
- Designed and fabricated multiple iterations of a 3D-printed equine respiratory mask using Autodesk Inventor, optimizing models in both rigid and flexible materials for performance and comfort.
- Diagnosed and resolved print quality issues on Creality® and Bambu® 3D printers, including bed leveling, nozzle maintenance and replacement, and filament conditioning to ensure reliable output.
- Collaborated in the design of a sensor-integrated housing to accommodate PCB boards, gas composition and flow sensors, and one-way air valves for controlled inhalation and exhalation testing.
Nuclear Engineer
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth, Virginia
08.2022 - 03.2023
- Prepared and completed Technical Work Documents covering re-identification, storage, shipping, and disposal of spare nuclear reactor components, including support for project inactivation at offsite facilities.
- Verified that stored components met engineering drawing specifications using shipyard databases and documentation standards.
- Managed and organized equipment photography with U.S. Government-owned digital cameras to enhance documentation accuracy and quality.
- Collaborated with team members on Nuclear Safety reviews and participated in confidential training sessions to build familiarity with reactor systems and regulatory compliance.
Laboratory Teaching Assistant
Univeristy of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
08.2021 - 05.2022
- Assisted third-year undergraduate students in conducting laboratory experiments and operating equipment across multiple classroom sessions.
- Guided students in developing proficiency with electronic circuitry, data acquisition systems, and NI LabVIEW virtual instruments.
- File-dropped initial and revised drafts of lab reports among a roster of over 100 students.
- Monitored four team-project posters during an in-class exposition and assigned grades based on presentation quality, level of technical detail, and uncertainty analysis.
- Performed compression and bending test demonstrations using PASCO Capstone software to visiting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Cut and machined lap joint samples for tensile test simulations.
Senior Capstone Project
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
08.2021 - 05.2022
- Developed control algorithms in Arduino for the routine motion of a NEMA-23 stepper motor to enable autonomous solar tracking.
- Designed CAD mockups of the tracking assembly and conducted CFD simulations to analyze weight distribution and aerodynamic stability as functions of tilt angle and wind speed.
- Coordinated with campus Facilities Management to secure installation approval and collaborated with licensed technicians for testing and verification of large-scale electrical components.
- Created an integrated microcontroller system featuring dual motor control modes, a piezoelectric buzzer and LED failsafe, and an LCD interface for real-time feedback and status messages.
- Procured and transported donated solar panels from Altenergy LLC (a subsidiary of Tiger Fuel Company) for future system integration.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Joint Hypersonics Transition Office
Charlottesville, Virginia
06.2021 - 08.2021
- Conducted academic research on advancing hypersonic jet engine technology under the supervision of a faculty advisor and Ph.D. researcher.
- Simulated the thermomechanical behavior of entropy-stabilized alloy MgNiCoZnCuO₅—a candidate thermal protection material for hypersonic vehicles—using molecular dynamics packages developed at Sandia National Laboratories.
- Developed and optimized MATLAB scripts to process and analyze data from 20+ molecular dynamics trials across five supercell sizes, ranging from 125 to over 10⁴ unit cells.
- Extracted key material properties, including thermal conductivity and elastic constants, by applying statistical mechanics relationships to heat flux and pressure tensor data.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA05-2022
Master of Science - Mechanical Engineering
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TXSkills
- Technical documentation
- Data analysis
- Systems integration
- Equipment troubleshooting
- Laboratory techniques
- Effective communication
- Rapid-prototyping techniques
- 3D modeling
Timeline
Mechanical Engineer
Center for Emerging Energy Sciences
04.2023 - Current
Nuclear Engineer
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
08.2022 - 03.2023
Laboratory Teaching Assistant
Univeristy of Virginia
08.2021 - 05.2022
Senior Capstone Project
University of Virginia
08.2021 - 05.2022
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Joint Hypersonics Transition Office
06.2021 - 08.2021
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University of Virginia
Master of Science - Mechanical Engineering
Texas Tech University