Erin Connelly
They/Them She/Her
I am trans and bi and I am a metallurgist and casting engineer.//
As a casting engineer, I design the filling systems and mold layouts for a huge range of metal castings, from 1 lb handwheels to 1+ ton valve bodies, in nearly every major alloy family that isn’t aluminum. As a metallurgist, I address issues in heat treatment and metal composition, as well as examining the microstructure of metal samples to ensure it has the correct structure or to diagnose problems in the processing.
My introduction to metal casting came only a few months before I realized I was trans, so the two have always been at least somewhat linked for me. Melting and pouring metal is my happy place–the heat, the noise, the glow, and the thrill of working with these primordial forces struck a deep chord with me the first time I poured in 2013 and that chord has continued to sound ever since. Wrapped up in layers of protective gear against the heat, nobody knows or cares about your gender, least of all the metal, and that’s truly wonderful.
Any time there’s a question involving metal, especially inaccurate movie science, my friends and family all know who to ask.