Charles Hogan '15 never envisioned himself at Kettering University. To the contrary, he was planning to attend Michigan State University on a baseball scholarship before a serious injury forced him to re-evaluate.

“Once I broke my leg, my father told me that either you get smart or you get tough. I’m not much of a fighter, so that was an easy decision,” Hogan said.

Hogan broke both his legs in high school playing football and baseball and was on crutches for nine months, which forced him to reconsider the entire course of his professional and educational career.

Hogan turned to personality tests in high school and according to his survey results, he had two options - oceanographer or engineer. One look at the salaries of each profession and his choice was clear, he was going to be an engineer.

When it came time to pick a school, Hogan was deciding between Michigan Tech and Kettering and coming to Flint wasn’t a foregone conclusion until he attended the co-op fair and was able to secure a position at General Motors.

“Dumb luck,” said Hogan about his decision to come to Kettering. “GM Spring Hill Manufacturing accepted nine applications for their summer 2011 program, eight interns and one co-op.”

Dumb luck has translated to calculated success as Hogan is excelling while completing his degree in Mechanical Engineering and co-op at GM’s Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The facility is one of the largest in North America and is the site where the Saturn was constructed from start to finish.

"I’ve been in almost every division responsible for building a vehicle. Every time I come back, I do something new,” Hogan said. “I’ve potentially had nine different co-ops because of the different opportunities that I’ve been given at GM.”

In addition to his contributions to the existing infrastructure at GM, Hogan has been assigned special projects to innovate operations in the facility. One of the projects involves radio frequency identification (RFID) of the ultra high frequency (UHF) identification for facility operations and is being translated into his senior thesis at Kettering.

The UHF works similarly to the key card access points located outside buildings on Kettering’s campus only the distances that the ultra high frequencies travel is significantly expanded to 25-plus feet. The technology will assist with monitoring engine databases, provide facility use data and assist with quality control and monitoring inventory and shipments.

Hogan’s thesis involved technology outside of mechanical engineering and was catapulted with assistance from other Kettering students.

“The fact that I am able to interface with the computer and electrical engineers at school helped me in understanding RFID and how to apply it,” Hogan said.

Recently, Hogan was also provided the opportunity to participate in the General Motors Advocate Outreach Program which permitted him to travel to California for a week. During the duration of program, he was responsible for showcasing the Chevy Corvette convertible to the local Los Angles community though events held at Kelly Blue Book and Disney’s Corporate Headquarters in Irvine and Burbank, California, respectively.

“These experiences and what I have gathered from both Kettering and GM will help me to continue to grow and prosper for many years to come,” Hogan said. "Kettering has been a blessing. I’ve been blessed with countless opportunities throughout the past four years and I have General Motors and the university to thank.”