Daniel Podraza

Daniel Podraza is a Mechanical Engineering student at Northern Arizona University, known for his strong leadership skills, teamwork, attentiveness, organization, and excellent communication abilities.

He is proficient in various programs like SolidWorks, AutoCAD, MATLAB, and Microsoft Office Suite, and his success philosophy revolves around hard work and teamwork for fostering innovation in problem-solving.

In his Engineering Capstone project ME-476C, Daniel led the solar thermal system efficiency project at the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel, enhancing efficiency through a redesigned solar thermal panel configuration and effectively communicating design improvements to the hotel owner.

In the Experimental Thermo-Fluids course ME-495, he conducted measurements on different fluids using advanced tools, analyzed data using LabVIEW and MATLAB, and authored technical lab reports based on the collected data.

For the Engineering Design project EGR-386W, Daniel proposed a hybrid alternative for the Pink Jeep Tour off-road vehicle in Sedona by working on the powertrain conversion design.

During the Machine Design course ME-365, he developed gear trains, shafts, springs, and gears using SolidWorks and created a functional epicyclic differential through 3-D printing.

Daniel's academic journey includes a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Arizona University and a High School Diploma from Scripps Ranch High School.

His professional experience includes roles such as Solar Sales and Design Engineer at RENVU, Systems Engineer at Green Earth Energy & Environmental, Inc., Systems Engineer Intern at Green Earth Energy & Environmental, Inc., Rescue Guide at Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course, Ski/Snowboard Technician at Arizona Snowbowl Resort, Counselor at Scripps Ranch Swim & Racquet Club, and Instructor at St. Gregory the Great Parish & School.