Dare to Disrupt Exploring 3D Printing and Industrial Art with Anne Pauley
Anne Pauley is a technical program manager at Google, implementing world-class manufacturing processes for the Google Pixel smartphone. In this episode, Anne shares her expansive experience in additive manufacturing, industrial art, and engineering design, as well as a mission to bring more diversity to the hands-on fabrication space.
In this episode, Anne shares her journey from Penn State to leading innovative projects at Google. She discusses her dual interests in mechanical engineering and music technology, her experiences at Penn State, and her professional journey through various companies including Disney, Meta, and Google. Through her work creating massive art pieces with the Flaming Lotus Girls art collective and her personal art studio, Cognitive Flow Design, she aims to disrupt the industrial design industry. Toward the end of the episode, Penn State rising senior Irena Potochny joins the conversation. Irena and Anne discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in engineering, and Anne offers advice for future engineers.
Episode Chapters
0:00 - 3:58 Growing up in State College
3:58 - 8:03 Pursuing engineering and music at Penn State
8:03 - 9:09 Participating in the Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program at Penn State
9:09 - 12:02 Understanding additive manufacturing
12:02 - 13:17 Experience in the Blue Band
13:17 - 16:47 Pursuing a Master's Degree at Penn State in mechanical engineering
16:47 - 18:20 Building animatronics at Disney; learning about different types of companies
18:20 - 19:26 Working at Meta's Reality Labs, becoming a technical program manager
19:26 - 23:21 Innovating the Google Pixel phone, the complexities of designing consumer products
23:21 - 24:12 Achieving sustainability in manufacturing through 3D printing
24:12 - 29:39 Creating large-scale art installations for Burning Man with Flaming Lotus Girls
29:39 - 31:17 Creating innovative light art projects through her studio Creative Flow Design
31:17 - 40:08 Student section
21:17 -34:38 More efficiently using recycled materials for art
34:38 - 36:15 Advice for women entering the engineering field
36:15 - 37:07 Selecting materials for art projects
37:07 - 39:30 What classes Anne would want to come back to Penn State to take
About Anne Pauley
Anne is a technical program manager at Google. Anne graduated from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College with dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering (College of Engineering) and music technology (College of Arts and Architecture) before pursuing a master’s degree with a focus on mechanical design, mechatronics and additive manufacturing.
About Irena Potochny
Irena is a rising fourth-year materials science and engineering student with a minor in sustainability leadership. She is a past participant of the Idea TestLab program at Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank. Irena created an upcycled fashion show as a capstone project, and she is in the process of starting a small business to sell upcycled products. Post-graduation, she plans to pursue a master's degree in textile engineering.
The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.