Honor Society® member
Chelsea Rivera
Automation Engineer at JSat Automation
- University of Colorado Boulder
- Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering
- Class of 2024
- Walnut, California
Member since April 2021
About
My name is Chelsea Theresa Rivera, and I am an Automation Engineer in Los Angeles, California. I have worked in the industrial automation for about 2 years now, specifically for biopharmaceutical clients. I specialize in designing, programming, and building control solutions for manufacturing pharmaceutical products using PLCs with Rockwell Automation softwares.
Working in the industry as a minority female automation engineer was intimidating at first; however, it developed into a stimulating challenge that has inspired me to pursue a lifelong career in the automation industry. I received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a specialization in energy and environment from UC Irvine, and I currently am pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering through University of Colorado Boulder’s graduate program. Through my diverse experiences in the engineering field, I eventually discovered my passion for automation and controls.
Education
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University of Colorado, Boulder
Electrical Engineering/Embedded Systems/Control and Communications
2021 – 2024
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University of California, Irvine
Chemical Engineering/Energy and Environment
2016 – 2020
Goals and interests
- Career goal
My ultimate goal is to become a senior automation engineer specializing in high voltage power and control systems; I aspire to design automated distributed control systems (DCS) with PLCs for antiviral drug manufacturing solutions.
- Graduate school interests
I transitioned from chemical engineering into electrical engineering because of my commitment to industrial automation. The biopharmaceutical industry uses both fields of study.
Automation is essential to the health and welfare of the public, and I firmly believe that attaining a master’s degree in electrical engineering will help me develop into an interdisciplinary engineer and strengthen my technical abilities. Engineers have revolutionized automation in the biopharmaceutical industry by providing groundbreaking technology that saves time, money, and lives.
At CU Boulder, I am eager to participate in and contribute to the established MSEE graduate program. My commitment to automation and controls alongside my intrinsic determination renders me as an individual that is well-suited to use my educational opportunities to reach my career goals.
- Outside the classroom
In my free time, I like to practice my PLC programming. I also am involved with digital music production. My main hobby is practicing yoga.
Experience
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Automation Engineer
JSat Automation
Mar 2021 – Dec 2024
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Automation Engineer
IQ Corporation
Jun 2020 – Mar 2021
Languages
- English (US) Fluent
