Professional MS Alumni Feature: Ed Pacey
I recently had the opportunity to speak with MS-MPE alumnus Ed Pacey to learn more about his time at the University of Pittsburgh and how it helped prepare him for his career!
From a young age, Ed had always had an interest in medicine. Throughout high school, he had the opportunity to explore these interests by shadowing clinicians and taking an anatomy course. He always thought that one day he would pursue medical school. However, he was unsure of this career path, considering the time, money, and effort needed. Along with his interest in medicine, Ed also had the drive for critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving. Combining all of these interests, he knew that a career in bioengineering was the right fit for him.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Ed decided to pursue his undergraduate degree in Bioengineering on the Medical Product Engineering track at the University of Pittsburgh. While he was in the undergraduate program, he became aware of the MS-MPE program at Pitt. He was especially interested in the program because of its project orientation. “I felt that the program really aligned with how I learn best: hands-on experiences. I enjoy the aspect of problem solving that involves having to be ‘in the weeds.'" Ed graduated from the MS-MPE program in 2019.
During his time in the MS-MPE program at Pitt, Pacey’s favorite project involved collaboration with the Human Engineering Research Laboratory (HERL). During a two-semester course, his group was involved in developing a cutting board that could be used by individuals who were considered not able bodied. In the first semester, his team worked towards learning the voice of customer, performing ethnography to understand the problem space and user needs, defining potential solutions and developing prototypes. In the second semester, the team was able to iterate on prototypes to create a minimal viable product (MVP). By the end of the second semester, they were able to develop a device that was used by an individual who had most likely never been able to use a knife before. “This was the most rewarding part of my graduate school experience. Being able to see all the work from the first semester come to life and see our device be used was something our group was extremely proud of.”
Soon after completing the MS-MPE Program, Ed began his career at AHN as a CAD specialist. After some time in that position, he began working as an Associate Systems Engineer at Bayer. There, he worked with the systems engineering group to write core requirements and perform productl risk assessments. It was not long after he began this position that he had the opportunity to transition to a higher, more technical role with the systems engineering team. After this transition he was responsible for making key technical decisions on the assigned project. Along with these responsibilities, Ed had the opportunity to be involved with human factors work and verification and validation tasks as well. “I felt that the program at Pitt helped prepare me for my role with Bayer. During the program, you learn to work in cross-functional teams with individuals who have different backgrounds on multiple different projects. Having that experience prepared me to be able to handle collaborating on different projects and deliverables simultaneously in industry.” After some time at Bayer, Ed searched for new ways to advance his career.
Earlier this year, Ed moved from Pittsburgh to Denver, Colorado to join Medtronic as a Senior Surgical Systems Engineer. “While still a Systems Engineer role, I had always had interests in robotics and felt more mechanically inclined. I was excited to be offered this opportunity to be part of the innovation Medtronic is developing in the surgical robotics space.” In this role, Ed works on requirements definition, product architecture, and testing.
When asked what advice he would give to prospective and current Professional MS students Ed said, “take risks.” “It was scary moving across the country to start a new job. Being born and raised in Pittsburgh, it was the first time I moved away from my friends and family. However, I was yearning to push my career development further and I could not be happier with my decision.” He advised young professionals to never settle, always look for ways to improve yourself whether that be through new opportunities or learning new skills. “If you have a gut feeling, listen to it and take the risk. You never know where that may lead you.”