Laura Wasson
Production/Automation Engineer
Manufacturing involves so many fascinating new technologies, such as robotics, additive manufacturing and the Internet of Things. It requires workers to be constantly learning, adapting and problem solving. The fast-paced manufacturing environment makes every day fun and exciting – I haven’t had a boring day yet!
Laura’s most recent and noteworthy accomplishment at Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. is co-founding the Production Engineering Team, which focuses on advancing automation and robotics on the production floor. Her efforts there have resulted in significant savings for the company. In addition to being a natural leader in automation engineering and team project management, Laura’s expertise extends to design and application engineering. She is a subject matter expert in SolidWorks, fluid power design, automation, project management and programming.
Recently, Laura led an initiative to improve Clippard’s new hire onboarding and engagement process by establishing the Clippard Buddy System. She deftly explained to managers and executives the importance of the program by showcasing a panel of her peers who shared about their onboarding experiences. Some of Laura’s other notable accomplishments are training others on additive manufacturing/3D printing, Minitab software and hosting a TechSolve robotics roundtable on implementing automation.
As part of her ongoing mentoring work, Laura connected with a talented high school engineering student who struggled with worries about a career path as a female engineer in the manufacturing world. Today, her mentee’s future in engineering is bright, and she proudly wears a trinket she made with Laura on a Clippard lathe as an emblem of her skill and commitment to the field.
Laura is also involved in many community organizations including the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), FIRST Robotics, the Junior League of Cincinnati and the Crossroads Church Adventure Group. She is particularly dedicated to her volunteer work at May We Help, which designs and implements solutions for people with special needs to engage in and pursue their passions. Through this program, Laura recently helped enable a boy who is missing fingers with a solution so that he could catch and throw a baseball.