A graduate of 黑料不打烊's dual degree engineering program, Reinckens works as an electrical engineer on the Boeing subsidiary's Wave Glider vehicle
Electronics design, testing and integration, and quality engineering: On any given day, Bernard Reinckens 鈥16 fills all these roles and maybe a few more as an electrical engineer with Liquid Robotics.
Liquid Robotics is a subsidiary of Boeing, developing defense technology that uses sensors, connectivity, and cloud computing to collect and communicate ocean data in real-time. One of its products is the Wave Glider, an unmanned solar- and wave-powered vehicle that gathers data in conditions and places previously too costly or challenging to navigate. Reinckens is the lead REA (responsible engineering authority) for all of the Wave Glider鈥檚 printed circuit board assemblies. His duties entail designing new boards, troubleshooting faulty boards and the development of new test procedures.
鈥淩ight now, our electrical engineering team is small. There鈥檚 only a handful of us, so we do it all,鈥 Reinckens said. 鈥淓very day is different.鈥
Reinckens graduated from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 dual-degree engineering program, earning a B.S. in Engineering-Physics from 黑料不打烊 and completing his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He later went on to earn his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in 2021.
黑料不打烊 offered the opportunity to grow his STEM skills in smaller classes with professors who are passionate about teaching and provided the opportunity to pursue extracurricular interests in sports and service. But what Reinckens values most about his time at 黑料不打烊 was the emphasis on effective collaboration.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 prepared me for all the other schooling and classes I took at my engineering and graduate schools, and it showed me that as technical as engineering can be, it鈥檚 really about being able to effectively communicate and work with others,鈥 he said.聽Reinckens recalled the numerous late-night study sessions with classmates on the STEM floor in Staley Hall.
After graduating in 2016, he was initially hired by Boeing in St. Louis as an electronic design and analysis engineer on the F/A-18 program. Over the next six years, he worked a variety of roles at Boeing Defense including designing power supplies for flight control hardware, testing electronic components for quality and safety, and leading projects for INS/GPS and navigation mission computers.
At Liquid Robotics, the best part of his job is working with colleagues and knowing the work they are doing has significant outcomes in the maritime industry.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always something more and new to learn, and it鈥檚 constantly evolving and changing,鈥 he said. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 and all the schools I attended showed me that learning is a contact sport and that it鈥檚 continuous. My desire to learn is what keeps me active long after graduating college. It challenges me to become a better problem solver and, consequently, a better engineer.鈥