OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

Dr. Masha Petrova is on the show to discuss the launch of a mini-documentary series called Altium Stories. Altium Stories is a brand new YouTube series which highlights today’s innovators and designers; people who are out there making astonishing, cutting-edge technology that will impact our world in significant ways. Before becoming Vice President of Brand Marketing at Altium, Masha earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California San Diego. Meet Masha Petrova, one of the people at the helm of the new mini-documentary series Altium Stories and learn more about her personal story.

Watch the Video, Click Here.

Show Highlights:

• Masha grew up in Moscow, Russia, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Her mother was a doctor and her father was a Chemist. But maybe even more notable, given Masha’s background, her grandfather was an Aerospace Engineer during the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States, and he was even involved in developing the orbit for Sputnik: Earth’s very first artificial satellite. 
• Sputnik’s resounding success triggered the Space Race, which inspired the formation of NASA less than a year later.
• During the Soviet era, Russian Science Fiction had reached new literary heights and was in its ‘Golden Age’. Masha notes that she was a major fan of the genre, and that Science Fiction even influenced her decision to become an Aerospace Engineer: “There were no computers, no iPads when I was growing up—no food half the time really—so there was a lot of reading that I could do… and I decided when I was six, that I was going to be an Astronaut or Cosmonaut and then move here [to the United States].” 
• Masha earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California San Diego. 
• Regarding her move from engineering to marketing, Masha elaborates, providing a unique insight into what unites the seemingly disparate fields, and why she finds it challenging. 
• Altium has just launched a new YouTube channel called ‘Altium Stories’, which is specifically dedicated to telling the stories of Altium’s users and customers, showcasing their innovations and contributions in mini-documentary format. 
• While meant for industry professionals—engineers, designers, etc.—Altium Stories are family-friendly, and Masha says they’ve even served as inspiration for her own kids.
• Currently featured on Altium Stories are mini-docs from companies like Core Wellness, which designs technology around meditation—a haptic feedback device which can sense your electrocardiogram through your thumbs, and provide information about changes in your autonomic nervous system while you meditate. And VPI Technology Group, a Salt Lake City-based company which designs a small form-factor radiation detection device used by public safety and law enforcement agencies.  We also hear from VOX Amplification Ltd., maker of VOX amplifiers, a mainstay in the Beatles’ music equipment. Not only is there more, but there’ll be more mini-documentaries added every month. The next innovative technology featured on the series could be your own!
• If you’re an Altium customer who would like to be featured in Altium Stories, please reach out! Share your story, showcase your projects, or get your product out there. Masha can be contacted directly at Masha.Petrova (at) altium.com.

Links and Resources:

Altium Stories Youtube Channel
Houston Mechatronics Aquanaut - Underwater Robot
Masha Petrova on LinkedIn
Confessions of a Hacker, Joe Grand

See What's New in Altium Designer