Matt Pugsley
Design Engineer, R&D Specialist
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Based in Portland, Oregon
Email:
Links:
A Bit About Me
I'm a gamer, hiker, and climber and I have lived all over the US. I love getting out in nature, sitting down with old friends, or just spending a day building something with my own hands. I grew up in Kansas City, building robots, wooden trebuchets, and model rockets for fun and taking apart nearly all the electronics that I could get my hands on - so an engineering degree was only a natural progression.
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Professionally, I'm a mechanical design engineer with a strong track record of solving complex, multidisciplinary problems. My approach to engineering involves being detail oriented about problem definitions, deeply questioning assumptions, building up ideas from fundamentals, and trying again until I get the problem solved. I've worked in R&D, manufacturing, and machine shop environments and this has given me a knack for tweaking toolsets, equipment, and processes to fit exactly what's needed for a project.
Check out my background and send me a message, I'd love to talk through your current project and build an idea together!
Work Experience
July 2023 - August 2025
Hewlett-Packard (HP Inc)
Portland, OR
January 2022 - August 2022
Formlabs
Boston, MA
August 2019 - December 2019
Honda R&D
Columbus, OH
January 2019 - April 2019
Honda Engineering
Columbus, OH
May 2016 - August 2017
N2Robotics LLC
Parkville, MO
At HP, I worked in a tight-knit R&D lab, developing new printer technology. During my time, I designed a new pressure sensor, guided prototype manufacturing, and created a printer settings optimization algorithm, which collectively resulted in millions of dollars in annual savings for various product lines.
Formlabs is a 3D printing startup out of MIT that I've admired for a long time. As a Mechanical Design Engineer, I learned a lot about designing around material constraints, mass production methods, and engineering performance targets at the same time to create outstanding products and great user experiences.
During my time in the Electrical Framework Test group, I participated in the testing and analysis of subsystems related to battery, keyless entry, liftgate, and cooling within Honda vehicles. My main solo project was designing lab equipment that could drive and benchmark the performance of any Honda alternator at extreme temperatures and without the need for a test vehicle.
At Honda EGA, I programmed robots for welding and material handling using Siemens PLM software. I was personally responsible for 15 robot weld paths and safety interlock programming for mass production of the 2021 Acura MDX. I also contributed to the Robotics team by modeling assembly lines in CATIA, researching new simulation techniques, and participating in path deployment.
As a Project Designer at N2Robotics, I developed and taught small classes focused on electronics and programming to various age groups. I personally designed projects to teach skills like soldering and Arduino programming, created detailed lesson plans, and led classes with up to 25 kids at a time. I was also responsible for the safe operation of the machine shop.
Education
M.S. Engineering
Purdue University
Graduated 2023 - 3.9 GPA
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Purdue University
Graduated 2021
To understand more about how to actually realize advanced engineering projects, I decided to pursue a degree under Purdue's Master's in Engineering Management (MEM) Program.
I tailored my curriculum to:
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Product & Process Design
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Autonomous Robotics
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Optimization Algorithms
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Business Strategy & Operations
Putting in the time at a top 10 engineering university to get my mechanical engineering background set. Couldn't have asked for a better place to get my credentials.
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Emphasis Areas:
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Control Systems
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Rapid Design and Prototyping
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Involvement:
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Purdue All-American Marching Band
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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Director of Outreach - 2020​
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