Former General Motors engineer turns to law studies

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
 
A former mechanical engineer with General Motors in Warren, Tiffany Mausolf is now heading for a second career as an attorney, specializing in Intellectual Property Law.
 
The recipient of a Distinguished Fellows scholarship, Mausolf entered Detroit Mercy Law School last year and should graduate in 2018.

“I’m passionate about learning and want to continue to grow intellectually for the rest of my life,” she said. “Patent law provides the opportunity to see a wide array of cutting-edge technology from many different fields of development, and I’m looking forward to broadening my scope of knowledge.”

Mausolf views the career change as an expansion of her original career. 

“Both an engineering degree and a law degree prepare students to do the same thing — solve problems,” she said. “Because patent law focuses on solving technical legal issues, I’ll utilize both degrees as a patent attorney.”

Mausolf is enjoying her time at DML, where she is a member of the St. Thomas Moore Society and treasurer of the OUTlaws. 

“The best thing about Detroit Mercy Law is its people,” she said. “Each person working here is dedicated to creating a friendly and familial environment for students and is focused on helping each of us reach our full potential in all areas of our legal development.”

After studying at Muskegon Community College, Mausolf transferred to Michigan State University, initially planning to major in astrophysics. 

“After I realized mechanical engineering was the application of physics to solve real-world problems,”Mausolf said, “I knew it was the right undergraduate path for me.”

She went on to earn a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (B.M.E.) from Oakland University where she was vice president of Tau Beta Pi and a member of the Society of Women Engineers. 

Mausolf interned with ABB, R&E Automated, Hilite International, and with FANUC Robotics America.  

“Robotics is a young field and has a lot of opportunity for growth both in the development of the robots themselves and the development of the application of the robots in various industries,” she said..

As an associate architecture engineer with GM in Warren, she worked with a team to develop the front and lower portions of luxury cars from concept to production.

“The thing I enjoyed most about working in the automotive field was overcoming the challenges posed by working in a global market,” she said.

Because the automotive industry has an international customer base, Mausolf said, each project requires engineers “to take into consideration not only the typical constraints imposed by physics, but also the governmental constraints from multiple countries and the varying needs of different
populations of people from around the world.”  

In her leisure time, Mausolf enjoys bowling, traveling, playing cards and golfing.

She also tutors math for students in Grace Centers of Hope’s GED program every Friday, and volunteers for the Center in other ways, including donating auction items to the annual Women Helping Women Fashion Show and Luncheon in May.

A native of Kent City north of Grand Rapids, Mausolf and her husband Charles make their home in Auburn Hills and will celebrate their first wedding anniversary in June.
 

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