Thomas Caracena

Thomas Caracena has a diverse range of work experience. Starting in 2015, they worked as an Engineering Intern at Colorado Springs Utilities, where they independently managed small projects and gained experience in AutoCAD, machining, and welding. In 2016, they interned as an R&D Engineering Intern at Medtronic, focusing on medical device testing and gaining skills in CAD and machining. In 2017, they served as a Research Intern at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center, installing a chemical natural gas reformer for hydrogen fuel cells and utilizing knowledge of fluid mechanics and gas chromatography. From 2017 to 2021, Thomas worked as an Estimator at SKY CLIMBER, LLC. In 2018, they became a Graduate Research Assistant at Mayo Clinic, developing tissue engineered vascular scaffolds and gaining expertise in bioreactor cell culture, confocal imaging, and medical device testing. From 2020 to 2022, Thomas was a Master's Student at Magin Lab for Bio-Inspired Pulmonary Engineering, contributing to a NIH-funded project and publishing a first-author paper. Thomas engaged in various tasks including sterile cell culture, polymer synthesis, protein imaging, RNA isolation, and quantitative rt-PCR. Currently, they are a Process Engineer at LightDeck Diagnostics, starting in 2022. Additionally, in 2020, they worked as a Private Tutor at Test Geek.

Thomas Caracena completed their Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines from 2013 to 2017. Thomas then pursued their Master of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado Denver from 2019 to 2022.