Hello! I'm Alexandra ("Alex") Forsythe.
Work:
I am an SoC (system on a chip) design engineer for Intel. I have my own business on the side designing and selling custom circuit boards to robotics enthusiasts across the country. Previously I worked for Ultra Electronics USSI designing circuits for new technologies, while simultaneously I was hired by Raytheon to help write software for an autonomous collaborative system using artificial neural networks. Before that, I designed a mission-critical circuit board (buck converter) for NASA that will be used in an upcoming space mission. I have generated Gerber files, worked in a class 10 clean room, peer reviewed schematic and board layouts, worked with Cadence, Altium, AutoCAD, Eagle CAD, PADS, DxDesigner, Perl, C, VHDL, Verilog, embedded systems, Linux, LT Spice, and more.
Projects:
In my spare time, I designed and built a full-size, fully functional R2-D2 that not only accompanies me to movie premieres and cosplay, but it also accompanies me while I teach children about STEM concepts. R2 and I work with a variety of groups including girls' STEM camps, scout troops, and coding camps. I designed and built a supercomputer (Beowulf cluster) and particle accelerator as additional educational tools, and I have been working on several FPGA projects.
Organizations and Achievements:
I have been selected as a National STEM Role Model, and I was awarded the 2018 National Women in Computing Award. I am an active member of IEEE, SWE, and Women in Engineering. In college I was inducted into the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (top 10% of college juniors, seniors and grad students in the U.S.) and the Phi Theta Kappa college honor society. I served as president of the university's Math Club, President of IEEE, VP of ACM, Student Executive Board Chair, Peer Mentor, officer for Alpha Chi, and CAD Mentor.
Hobbies:
I'm an avid snowboarder, hiker, and backpacker, and I love to ski. I'm a ballroom dancer and classical pianist. I'm a naturalist, birder, and nature photographer. I was Indiana Audubon's first Young Birder of the Year, and my photos have appeared in national magazines and on a book cover. I love to travel and I studied abroad (engineering in Germany), and I love working on my car.
Volunteerism:
I believe it is important to both give back and to pay forward. I work with several organizations that focus either on the natural world or on STEM. On average, I spend about 350 hours per year on community service.
On this website I have listed some of my achievements and awards, volunteer work and work-related experience. I have also included a few of my favorite photos and some of the news articles in which I have appeared.
Work:
I am an SoC (system on a chip) design engineer for Intel. I have my own business on the side designing and selling custom circuit boards to robotics enthusiasts across the country. Previously I worked for Ultra Electronics USSI designing circuits for new technologies, while simultaneously I was hired by Raytheon to help write software for an autonomous collaborative system using artificial neural networks. Before that, I designed a mission-critical circuit board (buck converter) for NASA that will be used in an upcoming space mission. I have generated Gerber files, worked in a class 10 clean room, peer reviewed schematic and board layouts, worked with Cadence, Altium, AutoCAD, Eagle CAD, PADS, DxDesigner, Perl, C, VHDL, Verilog, embedded systems, Linux, LT Spice, and more.
Projects:
In my spare time, I designed and built a full-size, fully functional R2-D2 that not only accompanies me to movie premieres and cosplay, but it also accompanies me while I teach children about STEM concepts. R2 and I work with a variety of groups including girls' STEM camps, scout troops, and coding camps. I designed and built a supercomputer (Beowulf cluster) and particle accelerator as additional educational tools, and I have been working on several FPGA projects.
Organizations and Achievements:
I have been selected as a National STEM Role Model, and I was awarded the 2018 National Women in Computing Award. I am an active member of IEEE, SWE, and Women in Engineering. In college I was inducted into the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (top 10% of college juniors, seniors and grad students in the U.S.) and the Phi Theta Kappa college honor society. I served as president of the university's Math Club, President of IEEE, VP of ACM, Student Executive Board Chair, Peer Mentor, officer for Alpha Chi, and CAD Mentor.
Hobbies:
I'm an avid snowboarder, hiker, and backpacker, and I love to ski. I'm a ballroom dancer and classical pianist. I'm a naturalist, birder, and nature photographer. I was Indiana Audubon's first Young Birder of the Year, and my photos have appeared in national magazines and on a book cover. I love to travel and I studied abroad (engineering in Germany), and I love working on my car.
Volunteerism:
I believe it is important to both give back and to pay forward. I work with several organizations that focus either on the natural world or on STEM. On average, I spend about 350 hours per year on community service.
On this website I have listed some of my achievements and awards, volunteer work and work-related experience. I have also included a few of my favorite photos and some of the news articles in which I have appeared.
