When Mackenzie Elmer was a high school student attending an admitted students weekend at Case Western Reserve University, she attended a lecture by Human Fusions Institute director Dustin Tyler and immediately became interested in his research. Having enjoyed math and science classes in high school, Tyler’s lecture “opened the door” to Elmer’s interest in engineering and seeing how technology can transform people’s lives.
Having graduated from CWRU with an electrical engineering major and a biomedical engineering minor in 2023, Elmer is the new lab manager at the Human Fusions Institute. Her primary responsibilities will include overseeing quality management systems for the lab, ensuring safety procedures, ensuring all the equipment is up to date and well maintained and that team members know how to use it properly, keeping lab records, and serving as a resource for facilitating research.
Elmer brings a wealth of experience to HFI from her time at Rockwell Automation, where she honed her skills as a systems design engineer. Her focus on upgrading metal refinery systems showcased her technical abilities. It allowed her to develop strong communication and interpersonal skills, which she is eager to apply in her new role as the lab manager at HFI.
Though Elmer is new to HFI, she is not a stranger to many researchers’ work. As an undergraduate, she participated in a co-op at the Cleveland VA Hospital’s Advanced Platform Technology Center, supporting some of Associate Professor Michael Fu’s virtual reality projects. She particularly enjoyed troubleshooting prosthetic devices and supporting Fu’s virtual reality integration with games.
With her eyes set on the future, Elmer is eager to witness the research in action and its direct impact on people’s lives. She is excited about working with a team of experienced individuals and is keen to learn from their expertise.
