MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 17 electronics . These devices , which have the feel of skin instead of rigid plastic , could someday be seen in a wide variety of applications .
Schloer ’ s place on the lab team is the development of manufacturing methods for liquid metal-based soft composite materials . Specifically , she has been working to 3D print soft electronics that work at maximum efficiency by controlling their shape , connection for electrical current , and positioning . She also has taken a strong leadership role , helping provide team guidance to rapidly adapt necessary changes to their approach .
“ We collaborate with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln , with Eric Markvicka ’ s lab ,” said Bartlett . “ Her [ Schloer ’ s ] ability to communicate within our lab and across these two labs has been really important for the progress of our work .”
How to choose a major , and another , and another
Shortly before Schloer ’ s first year at Virginia Tech , her science fair award landed her in front of Northrop Grumman representatives . After listening to her interests and hopes for a career , they told her that a major in mechanical engineering would suit her well . She has stayed on that path and has been employed by the aerospace and defense company as a mechanical analyst since 2020 .
Choosing economics and Spanish became logical as second and third majors because of the massive amount of transferrable credits Schloer brought from high school : no less than 79 . Part of her motivation to come to Virginia Tech instead of another school was the amount of credit she could carry into her first year on the Blacksburg campus .