Mercedes Hernandez
Staff Development Engineer
Qorvo
Hillsboro, OR USA
“Being in your comfort zone is cozy and warm but it’s not going to take you to the next step.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationMercedes Hernandez
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I was born and raised in Venezuela.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela.
I knew that I wanted to travel and work overseas and I also wanted to go deeper into mechanical engineering, so earning a U.S. graduate degree was the best option.
The first thing I wanted to do was improve my English, so I found a good ESL program at the University of Delaware.
While at the university, I met graduate students who encouraged me to apply for the Ph.D. program—I was accepted the next year and was able to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.
During my Ph.D. program, I did some work in modeling—which is what I do today—but I was mainly focused on researching coatings for aerospace turbines.
After graduating, I started my career as a software engineer for Intel but realized after a few years that the environment wasn’t a great fit for me.
I joined Qorvo as a packaging engineer and have since worked my way up to staff development engineer.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Staff Development Engineer
I do thermal mechanical modeling for components in the semiconductor industry.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Problem Solving
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
It has helped me to reach out to individuals who are doing work that I admire to ask them for advice, guidance, and information. Sometimes people won't respond but most times people are eager to help young people as they enter the field. I also think it's always going to be helpful to take extra courses or even pursue a graduate degree to learn more about the field.
Interviewed By
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Discover the world of microelectronics
