William King’s path from passion to innovation at CDME

In high school, William King developed a passion for electrical engineering. 

When he started his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University it was a foregone conclusion that he would major in electrical and computer engineering with a focus in electrical engineering. 

In the summer of 2022, King started working in the Industrial Cybersecurity Division at Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) as an undergraduate research assistant. He was immediately drawn to the position, knowing the hands-on nature of the projects at CDME.

“Before CDME I had only done classwork, and coming to CDME really helped me take a theory I learned in class and apply it to physical problems to come up with real world solutions,” said King. 

Since joining the team, King has actively contributed to various industry projects.

“When I first started here, I was getting up to speed on how the lab worked. I then started doing testing for a battery testing project. I wrote some code to do a curve-fitting algorithm because once one battery died, we would lose data from that battery, so we had to extrapolate out when we think the other batteries would fail,” he explained.

To understand this data, King then compiled that information along with another student and designed a new circuit board that would not stop the test when one battery died.  

As his time at CDME progressed, King did more learning with circuit boards as well as learning with embedded C-code. One standout project during his time at CDME involved wearable technology, particularly designing a wearable device capable of detecting hazardous chemicals in the air. If the device detects the chemical, it will send a notification to the corresponding app. He found this project particularly fascinating as it will result in a tangible prototype. 

“I was able to work with other disciplines of engineering, not just electrical,” King said. “I was able to help other students with my electrical engineering knowledge and they could do the same in their majors. This is an unbelievably valuable part of the experience at CDME.” 

Vimal Buck, director of the Industrial Cybersecurity Division, has played a crucial role in shaping King’s time at CDME. Buck not only provided guidance and mentorship in the lab but also gave King valuable career advice to support his future endeavors.  

“I have really enjoyed working with and mentoring Will over the past year and a half. Will has a passion for learning and a dedication to his craft. I am very proud to have watched as Will learned from other students in the center when he first started to now passing the knowledge and skills he has learned to our incoming students as a leader. I know having watched his growth that Will be an excellent engineer wherever he chooses to work,” said Buck. 

During this past summer, King had the opportunity to work with Amgen Ohio which he got through CDME. King split his time between working in the CDME labs and at Amgen Ohio. He found this experience extremely valuable as he was able to learn more about the managerial side of engineering. He spent a lot of his time this summer looking at business continuity plans and providing edits. This experience allowed King to have a more well-rounded background in engineering. 

With graduation approaching for King in December 2023, he has recently stepped into a more managerial position at CDME training some of the new research assistants in the Industrial and Cybersecurity Division. King is getting them up to speed on the current projects as he prepares to step away. His post-graduation plans include potentially entering the industry immediately or pursuing further education by getting a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering. Regardless of his choice, King acknowledges that his time at CDME has been a valuable experience that has prepared him for whatever the future may bring. 

By: Sarah Lowenthal, CDME marketing and communications student assistant