Broad Horizons, Unplanned Successes: Embracing Highs, Lows of Engineering

If anyone understands dedication to an engineering career, it’s Matt Draper.

Draper, senior director of research and development at Edwards Lifesciences, currently spends his time designing and manufacturing products used for cardiac monitoring, but if you asked him 20 years ago where he would end up, it probably would be somewhere else entirely.

“I wanted to work in pharmaceuticals,” he said. “I had a plan to work for a drug development company and even got a job offer in that field in California, but I ultimately ended up staying in Salt Lake.”

Draper graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s in biological engineering, both from USU. There, he worked closely with Professor David Britt on his master's research on biomaterials, while working for USU in the Fermentation Lab growing genetically modified bacteria and yeast.

After graduation, Draper took a job in the medical device industry, where he’d stay for the next 20 years. Despite ending up in a different field than he originally anticipated, Draper said the program gave him foundational skills that schools outside of USU don’t always have.

“It’s a unique program with amazing faculty that bring different and special skills to the table,” Draper said. “Because the program is so well-rounded, I could explore multiple career options without feeling like I needed to devote myself to one specific thing.”

After pushing through a series of several corporate mergers and closures early in his career, Draper seamlessly transitioned into a career in medical device research and development. He has worked for Edwards Lifesciences for the last nine years. He credits his success to the program’s focus on foundational engineering skills, which can be applied across a broad range of possible industries.

“Don’t limit yourself,” he said. “Take the time to explore different options when the opportunities are presented. At USU I gained skills that made it easy for me to adapt and change when I needed to and take on more responsibilities. It’s well worth it in the end.”