Alfred University engineering students this week met with veteran electrical systems engineer and Alfred University alumnus Jacob Towsley (MS, Electrical Engineering, 2009), whose past work include stints with Hornell-based Alstom Transport, operator of the largest passenger rail manufacturing facility in the U.S.
Towsley discussed his professional work and provided advice to more than 70 engineering students on how to transition from the undergraduate classroom to a professional career in electrical engineering. His visit to campus was part of The Inamori School of Engineering’s First-Year Experience seminar series, which introduces engineering students to the different engineering degrees at Alfred University and the career paths of alumni.
In addition to studying in the Inamori School of Engineering, New York State College of Ceramics, Towsley also served as a teaching assistant and intern from 2006 through 2009, focusing on electrical engineering.
During his time as a student at Alfred University, Jacob worked with Dr. Xingwu Wang, professor of electrical engineering, and was given the opportunity to repair the electrical wiring at Alfred University’s Stull Observatory after it was damaged by a lightning strike. His success as an electrical engineering student enabled him to travel across the country working on astronomical observatories in collaboration with NASA engineers.
His recommendations to students this week included seeking summer internships, and he stressed companies that host internships often zero in on candidates’ personal attributes in addition to their academic accomplishments. “(Companies) look for people who can engage with other people, people who will talk,” he said. “If I can’t talk to you, it’s almost a no-go.”
His work in the field of electrical engineering has included jobs with numerous engineering firms, including Harper International Corp, RailX, and Alstom. He currently lives in Avon, NY and works for Retech, a Buffalo-based leader in vacuum metallurgy.
His movements from one engineering company to another have involved extensive networking within the field of electrical engineering. On Thursday, speaking in the McMahon Engineering Building, he advised students to engage in as much networking as possible with an emphasis on attending professional conferences and meeting vendors. “I would always do lunch with vendors,” he said. “They’ll give you the knowledge of where other industries and companies are going.”
According to Rebecca Welch, assistant professor of glass science engineering, who introduced Towsley to students, the First-Year Engineering Experience is an opportunity for students to learn about the different areas within engineering through hands-on labs and meeting successful alumni.
“Engineering is a diverse field, and students who want to study engineering face the difficult decision of choosing which major is best for them,” Welch says. “We developed First-Year Experience for all incoming engineers and to be exploratory experience, providing each student a taste of the different majors that we offer.”
First-Year Experience students spend multiple weeks in the ceramics processing lab, melting glasses in the Glass Science labs, or working with circuits and trebuchets so that they learn about materials engineering in addition to electrical and mechanical engineering. Combined with seminar speakers, students develop an understanding of engineering as a diverse field of study and also a collaborative endeavor.
“From these experiences, many students change their starting majors and are encouraged to do so as they discover their passions and the field right for them,” says Welch.
