Garret Doyle ‘15 knew from a young age he wanted to be an engineer as he spent many hours in his parents’ garage or barn working a new project he created. That creativity and innovation paid off as Doyle was recently among those named as Manufacturing Engineering’s 2018 Class of 30 Under 30 honorees.

Doyle, General Assembly Tooling and Launch Supervisor at FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, was recognized as a future leader of manufacturing by Manufacturing Engineering magazine.

“I was very surprised when I found out that I was even nominated for the award,” said Doyle, who majored in Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University. “Lists from the previous years were full of CEOs, company founders, and engineers that are doing truly inspiring work. To say the least, I was very surprised and extremely honored when I received the email congratulating me on receiving the award.” 

The individuals chosen for 2018 Class of 30 Under 30 exemplify extraordinary promise in manufacturing and the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills that underpin the discipline, according to a press release.

Doyle’s interest for manufacturing started in high school where he found a passion for designing with computer design software.

“My passions for engineering and manufacturing both required me to use my problem solving abilities. Figuring out how to solve different problems is what I like most about working in the manufacturing engineering industry,” Doyle said. “Every day there is a new problem that needs to be solved. Solving these problems allows me to work with a multitude of different groups and continually learn new things.”

At Kettering Doyle did his co-op rotations at FCA for all four years. In his current role at FCA, Doyle supervises a group of engineers that design, build, and launch the tools used in an assembly plant to build the vehicles.

Throughout his years at FCA, Doyle said he has worked on many interesting projects and learned many skills to carry with him throughout his career. One of his favorite projects at FCA was working on the development of what is called the Kuka Pulse system, which is a conveyor system that moves parts or vehicles using magnetic technology.

“This project was my thesis project while attending Kettering University and was eventually implemented in one of our assembly plants in Windsor, Canada as the first automotive application for magnetic conveyance,” he said. “I have learned a multitude of different things while working for FCA. I have developed problem solving skills, management techniques, and engineering strategies. One of the most useful things I have learned to use strategic thinking. Learning not to just look on the task directly in front of me but also the impact it will have on the big picture has proved to be extremely valuable. It has taught me how to better manage resources and ensure we are working on a critical path.”

Doyle’s skills as an engineer started at Kettering University. He first heard of the University when he was in high school and his cousin was a student there.

“Getting the opportunity to have these hands-on experiences in the classroom coupled with gaining real world job experience made the choice to go to Kettering very easy for me,” Doyle said. “Kettering best prepared me for my career by simply making me a well-rounded engineer. Kettering has given me the technical skills to engineer solutions to resolve issues while also giving me the personal skills to lead a group of engineers on a project.”

The wide range of classes provided Doyle a with huge tool bag that he can look to when approached by a project that does not have an obvious solution, he said. Kettering also gave him an exceptional opportunity to develop his presentation skills. Many classes incorporated an end-of-term presentation that helped him practice transfering technical knowledge and concepts into an idea that can be easily conveyed and presented to a multitude of different audiences.

However, the friendships and connections Doyle made during his time at Kettering were one of his favorite things about his college experience.

“The best part of my Kettering experience was the camaraderie. As a freshman at Kettering, I started without knowing any of the students. That quickly changed as I developed friendships with other students living in the dorms. As terms went by, I saw how this camaraderie existed throughout the entire campus,” Doyle said. “From the fraternities and sororities to all the different clubs and teams, it was very easy to develop friendships with my fellow classmates. There was always a sense that we were all there to help one another. I also learned how proud of a school Kettering is.”