Connor Houle
houleconnor06@gmail.com
408-745-9122
linkedin.com/in/connor-houle
connorhoule.com
Los Angeles, CA
Education
University of California, Los Angeles — B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Class of 2029
- GPA 3.95 / 4.00
- Relevant coursework: Linear Algebra, MATLAB Programming, Materials Science 104, Multivariable Calculus, Physics Mechanics
- In progress (Fall 2026): Statics, Thermodynamics, Differential Equations, Electricity & Magnetism
- James N. Harger Scholarship and Muriel K. & Robert B. Allan Fund award recipient
Experience
Mechanical Engineering Intern — Planewave Inc.
May 2026 – Sept 2026
- Supported manufacturing, testing, and R&D for RF space antennas, amplifiers, and test hats.
- Designed custom manufacturing fixtures increasing production speed by 150% and 80% for two in-house products.
- Coordinated with vendors to source custom AS9100-rated hardware for new RF product lines.
- Established new manufacturing processes that increased product pass rate by 10× for in-house products.
- Designed drawings for 10+ new products, applying ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards to ensure seamless manufacturing.
Undergraduate Researcher — UCLA Mechatronics & Controls Lab, Prof. Tsu-Chin Tsao
May 2026 – Present
- Lead mechanical design of a novel hexarotor AUV with full 6-DOF control, capable of operating in both air and water, rapidly transitioning between both mediums, and radially morphing to reduce underwater drag.
- Developed the full CAD design for the project, prototyping and building the vehicle, integrating electronics, and developing the waterproofing scheme.
- Ran an ANSYS Fluent hull-drag study (SST k-ω, 775,094 polyhedral cells) resolving drag per surface: nose and tail domes carry ~68% of it, and flood-bay, screw-hole and inlet features add ~18% — the parasitic share now being designed out.
- Continuing CFD in ANSYS Fluent and SolidWorks Flow Simulation to characterize hull drag in air and water, size the propulsion system, and optimize mass distribution for neutral buoyancy.
Undergraduate Researcher — UCLA Bionics Lab, Prof. Jacob Rosen
Jan 2026 – May 2026
- Designed and developed an animal-trial prototype of highly manipulatable 360° articulating colonoscopy snares, giving physicians improved access to remove pre-cancerous polyps during operations.
- Led a five-person team; coordinated the project with physicians, faculty, and medical device suppliers, directed design and manufacturing efforts, and set team milestones.
Bruin Formula Racing — UCLA
Sept 2025 – Present
- Suspension: building a compliance test jig applying 1,000+ lbf along the lateral, vertical, or longitudinal axis to measure toe and camber compliance, validating simulation and comparing A-arm/control arm designs.
- Electrical Distribution System: developing a custom PCB through KiCad to evaluate and monitor battery packs — flagging abnormal power draw and charge overflow while estimating state of charge and pack health.
Independent Drone Research — AP Research
Aug 2024 – Mar 2025
- Built a relay module that extends a drone's operational range using PPM signal refactorization: up to 82% increases.
- Programmed Arduinos to decompose a PPM signal into throttle, yaw, roll, and pitch arrays, transmit the information through the relay module to the drone, and reconstruct the PPM signal for continued flight control.
- Authored a 5,000-word research paper on the development, build, and testing process; earned a 5 on the AP exam.
Co-Founder — Auto Detailing Business, Bay Area
Oct 2023 – Aug 2025
- Cofounded a car detailing business to gain entrepreneurship experience; led customer relations and marketing.
- Generated $14,000 in net profit and served 90+ clients.
Skills
- CAD / CAE
- SolidWorks, Fusion 360, SolidWorks Flow Simulation (CFD), ANSYS, MATLAB, GD&T, SolidWorks Drawings
- Manufacturing
- Haas CNC milling, waterjet, CAM (Fusion 360), TIG welding, SLA and FDM 3D printing, laser cutting
- Electronics & software
- KiCad PCB design, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, MATLAB, Java, JavaScript, web design