KARINNE R.

BERNANKE
704-654-1390 • kbernanke3@gmail.com • Charlotte, NC • www.linkedin.com/in/karinne-bernanke
EDUCATION
The Ohio State University | M.S. Mechanical Engineering Expected Graduation May 2023
University Fellowship Recipient and GRA at the Center for Automotive Research GPA: 4.00/4.00
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) | B.S. Mechanical Engineering Graduated May 2021
Paden-Cheves Scholarship, Wikoff Scholarship, and Georgia Tech Charlotte Alumni Scholarship GPA: 3.91/4.00
SKILLS
CAD: Siemens NX, SolidWorks, CATIA V4/V5/V6 Designer, Autodesk Inventor
Coding: PLC LadderLogic, MATLAB, Python, C/C++, Visual Basic, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, MSP432
Software: Ignition, Teamcenter, Simulink, JIRA, Oracle, modeFrontier, SAP, RADAR, CAMS, ENOVIA
Hardware: Shimadzu, SEM SU1080, XRD, Soldering, Additive Manufacturing
INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Tesla GFNV Automation Controls Team | Automation Controls Intern May 2022 – Present
• Station owner for two automated cell inspection stations being deployed to a new manufacturing line intended to save
Tesla around $5.4 million yearly by reclaiming scrap parts, in which controls hardware included pneumatic actuators,
AB servos, Keyence 2D/3D vision, Cognex barcode scanner, and SMC valve manifolds
• Wrote station PLC ladder logic while adhering to Tesla’s controls standards (AOI library, code structure)
• Integrated, setup, and commissioned devices such as RFID readers and barcode scanners, in an Allen Bradley PLC by
input/output mapping, writing test code, and changing add on instructions (AOIs) for better utility
• Created conveyance logic and data handling standards to be used throughout the entire manufacturing line
NEXTCAR (ARPA-E) | Graduate Research Assistant Sept 2021 - Present
• Simulated vehicle dynamics and powertrain controls of the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV to achieve a reliable baseline
model with which to begin implementing optimization methods to increase vehicle fuel efficiency by 30%
• Created and scaled engine, electric motor, and battery maps from experimental testing to resemble the powertrain
components in the Chrysler Pacifica in lieu of proprietary data to continue simulations despite contract negotiations
• Formulated and implemented a dynamic programming solution for velocity and powertrain optimization specifically
weighing both the costs of fuel efficiency and time it takes to complete the distance-based route.
Divergent 3D Automation Team | Mechanical Engineering Intern May - Aug 2021
• Designed and began fabrication of a two axis UV adhesive testing machine with over 28 custom parts built to improve
repeatability and speed of four different UV adhesive tests using removeable fixtures
• Established end of tool gripper geometry to be used in assembly by Shimadzu moment testing with a Leidos laser
• Measured effectiveness of UV adhesive with off the shelf components using various UV cure sequences by
designing test materials and facilitating manual UV retention feature pull tests on the Shimadzu
Ford Systems Unibody/BEV Pack Optimization Team | Product Development Intern June - Aug 2020
• Benchmarked engine and cooling pack data for the T4 platform vehicles (F-150, Ranger, etc.) and their competitors
• Optimized the front-end cooling pack by suggesting improvements to air flow inlet volume and inner air flow
management through researching pack components and understanding customer requirements tied to performance
• Initiated innovation, collected, and presented research leading to the submission of a patent application
PROJECTS
Neonatal Incubator for Fabrication and Use in Ghana Jan - Dec 2021
• Created an incubator prototype and documentation using affordable materials and accessible manufacturing methods
• Designed and tested a heating system, hood, and bed tilt system for easy sanitizing, troubleshooting, and visibility
• Priced the incubator at $800, about 76% cheaper than the next commonly available “low cost” incubator
Automated Basketball Backboard Aug - Dec 2020
• Utilized Open CV to code computer vision program that tracks the projectile trajectory of foam ball
• Created kinematic calculations to determine desired backboard angle to deflect ball into basketball hoop
• Fabricated a backboard with two degrees of motion using decoupled motors and the MSP432
Simulated Parallel Hybrid Vehicle Aug - Dec 2020
• Built working simulation of a rear-wheel-drive mid-size sedan in Simulink focused on enhanced performance and
efficiency utilizing real time engine, motor, battery, and drive cycle data with a group of three people
• Designed six different driving modes and mechanical braking to incorporate into the controller aspect of simulation