CDME experience prepares student to enter industry

Posted: 
Aaron Reilman headshot

Aaron Reilman was drawn to The Ohio State University because of its Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The ample resources on campus and the job opportunities throughout Columbus solidified his choice. The Cincinnati native decided to study computer and information science because it allows for creativity but is still very logical and mathematical, which is how his brain works.

He discovered the chance to work at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) through his roommate. Vimal Buck, director of industrial cybersecurity at CDME, was actually looking for someone with computer science-oriented skills to work in the electrical laboratory.

“I was really impressed with Aaron’s work ethic and desire to learn,” said Buck. “He came in with strong programming skills, but no experience with embedded programming. In the three semesters, he’s worked here, he worked on multiple embedded projects across three different wireless technologies. He has a lot of experience now with Bluetooth Low Energy both on the application side and on the embedded side, with LoRa radios and XBee communications. Aaron is an excellent problem solver. In his first few weeks at CDME, he worked across disciplines to help solve a difficult math problem that puzzled both undergraduate and graduate students.”

At CDME, Reilman had hands-on experience integrating new technologies that he’s never used before. His first time doing mobile application development involved debugging a spectrometer app. Reilman worked with code to discover why the app wasn’t working and the improvements that could be made.

Another project he worked on involved reading electrical currents using LoRa radios and an analog-to-digital converter. He discovered how to implement serial peripheral interface (SPI) communication protocols and how to communicate with a USB connection.

student working with laptop and circuit

“Since I'm more computer science oriented, I was able to write a bunch of libraries and protocols for some of the basic procedures that go in the lab,” said Reilman. “Now we have a library where you add a little bit of code for a new chip you have and it's pretty much good to go and use right away.”

CDME provides students with applicable skills for post-graduation employment. Reilman worked on real projects with real clients and saw a glimpse of working in industry. Working with clients and coworkers equipped him with the ability to keep up with repositories of code and make sure things are organized and documented.

After graduation, Reilman will start at Micware North America, Inc. as a software developer.

“CDME prepared me for my new position by offering ample opportunities to develop skills on my own that I would not be able to learn in my classes,” said Reilman. “As the primary app developer in the electrical lab, I had many opportunities to learn and sharpen my app development skills despite having little experience in this field before working at CDME, which gave me an advantage in the position I earned. Many of the skills I picked up during my time at CDME will be directly applied in my new position. The environment I worked in at CDME is very similar to my new position, which will make the transition smooth.”
 

Ways to connect with Aaron Reilman:

Email: reilman.9@buckeyemail.osu.edu

By: Evahanna Cruz, CDME marketing and communications student assistant

Categories: StudentsResearch