Tessa Beauchat

Education

Masters of Science in Architectural Engineering

Expected August 2024

The Pennsylvania State University | College of Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design and Development

August 2023

The Pennsylvania State University | College of Information Sciences and Technology | Schreyer Honors College

Focus in Universal Design and Accessibility

Research Interests

Construction Robotics

  • The impact of robotic integration on the scheduling and sequencing of work.
  • Understanding and organizing key data about robotics to be leveraged in integrating robotics within a jobsite.
  • Investigating how construction robotics can be used as assistive technology to enable skilled laborers who experience injury or disability to continue to work within their field.

Research Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

University Park, PA

The Pennsylvania State University | Department of Architectural Engineering

August 2023 - Present

  • Execute literature reviews for various NSF Grant Applications.
  • Work within research group to establish data structures to house construction robotic information.
  • Determine how construction robotic data can be extracted and utilized to best plan to integrate technology on a job site.

BE-SURE Undergraduate Research Assistant

University Park, PA

The Pennsylvania State University | Department of Architectural Engineering

February 2021 - August 2023

  • Published conference paper and presented findings at American Society of Civil Engineers i3CE 2021 Conference.
  • Research current standards of robotics in construction and learn about prominent barriers to implementation.
  • Contact and interview industry professionals to validate research findings and obtain contractor perspective.

Work Experience

Enterprise Project Management Intern

State College, PA

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University

February 2022 – December 2022

  • Participated in documentation and management of over ten initiatives across four verticals of work to implement research enablement technology and security solutions to the Applied Research Lab,
  • Adapted and improved reporting functionality through Microsoft Project and Excel Macros and Power Query to generate multiple reports from one dataset which previously required multiple source files and transformations.
  • Implemented visual management tools to effectively to track past and future projects over extended periods.
  • Distributed survey to over 100 employees on credentialing and solicited survey feedback results to make informed decisions on implementing process improvements to benefit the lab at large.

Construction Management Intern

Harrisburg, PA

Alexander Building Construction Co.

May 2021 - August 2021

  • Facilitated communication between co-workers, trades, and building owners through regular updates including meeting presentations, visual management dashboards, daily huddles, and more.
  • Assisted in the closeout process for two jobs with contracts totaling over $300 million.
  • Personally managed over $50,000 of change work, coordinating work with both trades and building owners.
  • Lead the collection of over 300 contractually required documents from trade partners and verified they were adequate to meet the contractual specifications. Created and updated Excel based log to track process.

Papers and Conference Presentations

Undergradute Thesis: An Adaptive Relational Database Development for Construction Robotic Application

Publications

Beauchat, T., Hu, Y., Leicht, R., Suanico, C. (2022). Analyzing Schedule Dependency and Sequencing Changes for Robotic Construction Using Graph Analysis. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Vol. 37, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0001057.

Conference Presentations

Beauchat, T., Blazejewski, E., Hu, Y., Leicht, R.(2021, September). Analyzing Schedule Dependency and Sequencing Changes for Robotic Construction Using Graph Analysis. 2021 ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE2021), Orlando, Florida.

Teaching and Mentoring Experience

Teaching Assistant

University Park, PA

Teaching Assistant for AE 297/240

January 2022-May 2023

  • Attend classes to answer student questions and troubleshoot coding errors. Assist professor in explaining computer science topics.
  • Host office hours to assist with homework and in-class assignments and review course topics and material.
  • Proctor all examinations, answer in-exam questions, and troubleshoot both technical and other issues.
  • Monitor class and facilitate final project while professor was on maternity leave in Spring 2023.

Skills and Certifications

Certifications: Universal Principles of Design; Communication Within Teams; Learning Factory at Home Badge

Skills: Advanced in (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project); Proficient in (Jira, Java, Python, Figma, Canva, Android Studio); Beginner in (JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL); PMBOK; Design Thinking; Principles of Universal Design

Honors and Awards

Magna Cum Laude

Summer 2023

Graduated within the top 12% of College of Information Sciences and Technology’s graduating class.

College of Information Sciences and Technology Student Marshal

Summer 2023

Selected as representative for college at summer 2023 commencement ceremony.

Leadership and Volunteer Experiences

Family Relations Director

University Park, PA

Penn State THON

April 2022 - May 2023

  • Serve on the Executive Committee of 17 which directs the efforts of 16,500 student volunteers for the largest student-run philanthropy in the world to enhance the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer.
  • Act as the primary contact and advocate for over 300 families diagnosed and treated at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital who have been affected by pediatric cancer.
  • Directly lead a committee of 25 captains through weekly meetings, dispersing information from external THON stakeholders, and scheduling check-ins to create programming and support opportunities for THON Families.
  • Communicating with healthcare professionals in the Oncology and Child-life Support departments at PSHCH to make informed decisions on how to protect the well-being of Four Diamonds Families.