Welcome! My name is Evan Grant and I'm a creative engineer.
In undergrad, I studied Mechanical Engineering and Art & Design at NC State University as a Park Scholar. I graduated in 2020 and went on to complete a year of co-op rotations with Intuitive Surgical, the pioneer in robotic-assisted surgery, serving in both Manufacturing and Product Engineering roles.
Most recently (May 2023), I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Robotics MSE program - in which I had the chance to explore a breadth of fascinating robotics topics. I studied many of the most important algorithms in the field, particularly those relating to motion planning, control, navigation, localization, mapping, computer vision, and machine learning.
Through my master’s, I also grew enamored with my chosen electives in computer graphics because I found the topic satisfies both sides of my dual technical-creative mind. Fortunately, many of the underlying problems and math are highly correlated with what’s required in robotics. As I learned about technical roles in the digital entertainment industry (games and VFX) and completed projects like building a Minecraft-like game engine and Monte Carlo Path Tracer, I began to envision myself thriving in that field.
I’m now poised to pursue a career either in robotics (likely in the medical or AV space) or in the digital entertainment industry as a game developer, graphics programmer, or technical artist. I’m actively applying for both these fields but prioritizing a search for the latter.
This potential pivot to games and computer graphics is invigorating and I’m continuously seeking out peers and connections in the industry. I’m also actively learning new pertinent skills with self-directed projects - like implementing an algorithm called Wave Function Collapse without referencing outside code. With it I'm eventually aiming to create an artist-friendly system for procedurally generating terrain/backgrounds/assets for 2D games. Additionally, I’m rapidly learning how to use Blender by modeling and rigging a 3D character which I will import into the Unreal Engine as I begin to learn it as well. I intend to develop a simple 3D game with this character to practice all the skills I’ve developed.
In this portfolio I also want to give context to my purely creative side and highlight my lifelong pursuit of art. I seek creatively fulfilling projects and love exploring any medium - be it watercolor, digital painting, Illustration, graphic design, photography, videography, etc. In the midst of the pandemic, I frequently took on freelance art and design commissions and was encouraged by the positive feedback I received from clients. I'm currently working on refining fundamental skills, and have been diligently keeping sketchbooks to practice new ways of seeing. Each time I step out my door, regardless of the occasion, chances are I've tucked away that sketchbook and a box of exotic drawing utensils into my pack.
In the spirit of embracing both tech and art, I decided to combine my Engineering and Art & Design Portfolios into this single site. Please feel free to explore both, and don't hesitate to reach out via email if you'd like to get in touch!
(evandgrant3@gmail.com)