Brady Hogg

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do?

As a mechanical engineer my job is to solve problems regarding anything that moves, heats up, or is manufactured. Part of that work might involve designing something new, improving something that exists, or in the case with Nautilus, maintaining and operating complex systems, like Little Hercules and Atalanta. This includes piloting the ROVs, monitoring their systems, troubleshooting any issues they have and verifying they are doing their job well.
 

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

I had an amazing opportunity in high school to be a part of a FIRST robotics team. That got me a taste of what it was like to be an engineer and I have been absolutely hooked ever since.
 

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

I am encouraged by all of the incredible people I work with who rely on me to do my job and to do it well. Nothing is more rewarding than being a key part of a team.
 

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

I think it is fascinating the admire the ingenuity of the engineers before you. It's always rewarding to create or come up with something new, but a lot of the time somebody else has come up with a more clever solution in the past. Using seeing all the genius ways people have solved problems is very fascinating and inspiring.
 

How did you get involved with Ocean Exploration Trust? How did you become part of the expedition team?

I applied for the ROV engineering internship online after I saw a Youtube video of all the incredible work done on E/V Nautilus.
 

What other jobs led you to your current career?

I started in robotics back in high school, and through that I fell in love with mechanical engineering, hands on work and CNC machining. From that experience I have worked as a CNC machinist while in school and as a manufacturing engineer at an aerospace manufacture.
 

What are your degrees and certifications?

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Currently undergraduate) -- Washington State University
 

What are your hobbies?

I love disc golf, combat robotics, cooking and go-kart racing.

What advice would you give someone who wants to have a career like yours?

If you want to be an engineer, get out and do some engineering. Building things to solve problems has existed longer than written language; you only need the degree and the education to do it professionally and at a high level. The best way to get better at building things is by building things. Finding clubs, competitions or simply fun projects you can do solo are excellent avenues to get started. If you have a good amount of real life projects under your belt, the education and the degree will be the easy part.