Katherine Olives
As part of our Apprentice Program Blog series, the below is written by Marketing Pod Apprentice & CCNY student Emily Santana.
What Is CAD?
The Zahn Innovation Centers CAD Pod is part of our apprenticeship program which aims to help transform students ideas into a 3D reality. CAD is short for Computer Aided Design, which is the process of using computer software to aid in the creation of a product. CAD software enables designers to create, visualize, manipulate, and test objects before theyre set into real-world conditions. For example, it is often used within automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace, architecture, and prosthetic industries. Many dont know this, but CAD also extends into the artistic realm to create computer animation and special effects makeup within television and movies. One familiar production that uses CAD is Coraline, a 2009 film created by Laika Studios. The stop motion characters were sketched out and transformed into 3D models with CAD manufacturing.
The CAD Pod Leader, Baruch Shadrouz
Our CAD pod is led by Baruch Shadrouz, a senior majoring in computer engineering here at CCNY. As the pods assistant engineer, he manages the day to day tasks of all his apprentices. Baruch was attracted to join the apprenticeship program because of all the skills [he] learns [because] it opens up many doors for future opportunities whether that is landing a great job or even starting your own company. With now almost 2 years in the Apprenticeship Program, he believes the program has helped him not only hone his engineering skills, but develop project management skills: a vital skill that can only be achieved by actually doing it in the real world.
Thoughts from the CAD apprentices
The CAD pod is made up of a group of student apprentices, all of whom value the programs ability to help them apply what theyve learned in class to real world situations. One is Ann Mary, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. She joined the Apprenticeship Program after learning about us through email. A typical day in the program for Ann Mary includes designing products using CAD software and printing them out on our 3D printers. She believes the Apprenticeship Program gave [her] an exposure to the real world engineering field. Further, her lessons have reached beyond technical skills because shes also learning how to collaborate with others when completing a project.
Another CAD apprentice is Sumit, a sophomore who decided to change his major to computer engineering after working on a project over the summer at Zahn. He too believes the pod has helped him work to develop skills beyond the world of CAD. For example, Baruch encourages apprentices to participate in interdisciplinary projects since nothing in the industry is pure CAD, EE, or AM, there are aspects of them all. Professionally, the Apprenticeship Program has helped Sumit develop management experience which has made him more comfortable planning projects and developing [himself] as a leader in [his] team. While only being a sophomore in college, his exposure to a variety of fields and project management skills will be one of [the] key strengths in [his] resume.
What the Cad Pod Is up to Now
Currently, the CAD pod is working on a very exciting product that will potentially be on the market! They are also using CNC machining, creating an automation project for monitoring and watering plants, and are in the works of creating an automated robot project. When asked what advice he has for current apprentices and those who may be interested in joining the pod in the future, Baruch emphasized being a visionary. He believes it will help you see things that other people miss, change your belief system about what can and cannot be done, and most importantly, help you solve problems that others think cant be solved. Further, being a visionary creates passion in everything you do, and even when you lose it, you will find a new path to take to get that passion back.
Interested in growing your skills in CAD manufacturing or other fields including marketing, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering? Consider joining the Zahn Apprenticeship Program! Applications are now open & you can apply here.