P & E Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Grabowski

Aug 2, 2021 12:00 PM

The Department of Physics and Engineering Alumni Spotlight highlights Bobcats in the field.

Name: Ryan Grabowski '12
Program: Mechanical Engineering
Current City: Brookville, Pennsylvania
Profession: Testing and Validation Engineer

Where are you currently working?

I am a Testing and Validation Engineer for Brookville Equipment Corporation.

What do you find the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?

In my current position, I have the opportunity to work on an array of projects across the different vehicle types we make. The most rewarding part is the end product of a fully vetted and tested vehicle that is ready for the end customer.

The most challenging part is getting all systems to perfectly mesh together. I've travelled to several cities where we've launched streetcar projects. In order for a hybrid streetcar to have all major systems seamlessly work together and meet the stringent requirements, several weeks of tuning and testing are required on the propulsion and braking systems. It's worth noting that I often work with fellow bobcat, Heather Lowe '16, who is also an FSU/UMD Mechanical Engineering graduate. She works for our friction brake supplier, System Test and Commissioning.

When did you know you wanted to be a mechanical engineer?

I have always worked on cars and farm equipment with my dad growing up and took to the mechanical workings of machines. I also got to experience first-hand design shortcomings and wanted to be able to influence products.

What has your career path been like?

My career path is actually quite a chain of events that have led me to where I am now. The outline of my path is below and may make you regret asking:

My first true job was at Taco Bell when I was 15, where I worked for about 2 years and even became a Team trainer.
When I was at FSU, I wanted income so I applied to be a math tutor and was brought on since I had experience teaching others. It is also worth noting both of my parents were teachers.
To further decrease the cost of college, I applied and was hired to be an RA, which to my understanding having been a tutor with good recommendations helped.
While working as an RA my sophomore year (spring 2009), I got a flyer for a summer job opening with Home City Ice (HCI) in Cumberland driving a truck and delivering ice. Since I had dismal results trying to secure an engineering internship that summer, I applied as soon as I saw the flyer.
Home City hired me on as a driver and I worked for them all summer happily delivering 7 and 22 lb bags of ice to places all over western Maryland and the WV panhandle. During my interview they told me that if I was interested, they would train me in the fall and help me get my Commercial Driver's License. I did that fall of my Junior Year driving a tractor trailer for HCI and got my CDL Class A.
I was finally able to get a job in the Mechanical engineering field when I applied to a Co-op with Volvo Powertrain in Hagerstown MD. When I was interviewed, they said what caught their eye was that my resume showed I had my CDL and they design, test and build tractor trailer engines. I worked in the Air Handling group for the spring of 2011 as a co-op, taking a semester off.
For the summer, I stayed with Volvo Powertrain and moved to the Performance group that did Test Cell and on-road testing of the engines. I did a lot of data analysis and also on-road test driving of Tractor Trailers for performance, fuel economy and emissions. I stayed on with Volvo Powertrain for the Fall of 2011 (Senior Year) working Tuesdays and Thursdays since I was able to fit all my classes into a Monday-Wednesday-Friday Schedule.
Prior to graduation, I applied to a plethora of places. I ended up interviewing and being hired full time at CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland Equipment) in New Holland PA in the Dyno Mechanical Test Lab due to my prior testing experience. I worked there for 3 years testing engines in dynamometer test cells and other mechanical driveline components of various types. A co-worker of mine invited me to come to hunting camp with him in the Brookville area and I fell in love with that part of the state and decided to look for a job in NW PA so my wife and I could buy a large piece of land.
I found Brookville Equipment and was hired as a Mechanical Engineer. As the company restructured, I took on the Testing and Validation Engineer role.

Why did you choose the Mechanical Engineering program at Frostburg State University?

The opportunity to receive the same education for a much lower cost in a smaller school with much better student to professor ratio compared to UMD. I was able to graduate debt free.

How did the Mechanical Engineering program at FSU help you achieve your career goals?

The program helped me achieve my goals by not only getting me my degree, but getting there with the support of professors like Dr. Wang to help and encourage me. I have my EIT at her recommendation and have had consideration on preparing for the PE now that I have my years in the field.

What was your favorite experience in the Mechanical Engineering program?

I enjoyed the opportunity to have small classes where I was able to get any help I needed from professors and my classmates. It became a fairly tight knit group that studied together and helped each other.

Have you been working on any projects that you would like to share?

I was recently in Tempe Arizona commissioning and testing the new Tempe Streetcar. I also was the Lead Mechanical Engineer on the design, build, testing and commissioning of the replacement cars for the Chattanooga Incline Railway.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in or considering a career in Mechanical Engineering?

Like many things in life, you must work for them. While the years at FSU were filled with good times, it still required dedication to stay committed to finishing. Once I was able to secure a job in my career field, I was very happy I stayed with the program and the career in Mechanical Engineering. It is also worth noting that Mechanical Engineers are in high demand and it is not uncommon for them to get promoted into management positions.