In a rural clinic in eastern Rwanda, a child arrives critically ill with malaria. The disease can turn deadly in hours if untreated, yet lifesaving medicine is often miles away over rough roads that can take hours, even days, to traverse. 

Instead of sending a driver to a distant warehouse, a nurse simply places an order on a computer. In less than a half hour, a small battery-powered aircraft appears in the sky, and a parachute drops a package containing the medication needed to stabilize the patient. 

Scenes like this are becoming increasingly common across rural Africa thanks to Zipline, an autonomous drone logistics company that delivers blood, vaccines, and critical medicines to remote communities. Behind the systems that make those deliveries possible are engineers like Ryan Patterson (MS ’09), who spends his days designing the electronics and software that power the company’s aircraft. 

“For me, it’s the perfect combination,” Patterson says. “As an engineer, it’s fun to have a good technical challenge—to go and build something interesting. And as a human, there’s nothing that beats helping other people, making their lives easier or more survivable.” 

An electrical engineer from day one

Growing up in Grand Junction, Colorado, Patterson was fascinated—perhaps obsessed—with electronics as far back as he can remember. While other preschoolers carried around their favorite toys, Patterson often toted his favorite extension cord.

In third grade, a teacher recognized his boredom in class and arranged a mentorship with John McConnell, a local retired physicist. Every Saturday for nearly a decade, the duo explored electronics, physics, and engineering—ordering books, tinkering in McConnell’s shop, and experimenting with robotics. 

Before long, Patterson was participating in state and international science fairs. One of his notable projects was a glove capable of translating American Sign Language into written text—a design that earned international recognition, including scholarships and more than one meeting with then-President George W. Bush. 

McConnell’s mentorship “jump-started me by many, many years. He taught me how to be patient and how to teach myself,” Patterson says. The translator glove, meanwhile, gave him a taste of how he could solve interesting problems and make life better for others.

From instruction to industry

After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in electrical and computer engineering, Patterson went to work for Lockheed Martin. There he was given the chance to earn a master’s degree in mechatronic systems engineering through a partnership with the University of Denver’s Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science. 

At the time, DU professors taught these classes—which combined electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering—at the Lockheed Martin campus. For Patterson, the program’s convenience and the ability to immediately apply what he was learning made it an easy decision to sign up. “It was just a walk down the hall from work to class, and I could study a field I was genuinely interested in. My work finally had real impact, and it was hard to say no,” Patterson says.

Engineering for impact

In 2011, Patterson founded Galvanic Engineering, a consulting firm providing product development and contract engineering services for clients ranging from aerospace to consumer electronics. Three years later, a small start-up asked Patterson to come on board to help design their drones. What began as a short stint turned into more than a decade at Zipline, where Patterson has designed avionics systems, communication networks, flight control software, and more. 

Zipline’s first mission was in Rwanda, addressing critical delays in medical supply delivery. Since then, the company has launched operations across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire. Today, Zipline is bringing its expertise to U.S. doorsteps with multi-rotor drones that deliver food and other consumer goods in insulated pods. Besides the convenience they offer, these drones lessen the need for large, fuel-inefficient delivery vehicles, reducing traffic and lowering emissions. The company has completed more than two million deliveries to date.

Paying it forward

Patterson credits much of his success to the mentorship he has received over the years, and he works to provide the same guidance to the next generation of engineers. He serves on the board of directors for the Colorado State Science Fair and on the executive volunteer board for the International Science and Engineering Fair. He also mentors new electrical engineering hires at Zipline. 

For Patterson, mentoring is more than teaching—it’s about inspiring curiosity and opening doors for others. “It’s so important to find ways to spread your skills and share your knowledge with others,” he says. He sees mentorship as a chance to help others apply their skills to challenges and make a real difference in the world.