Rocket engineers share their stories
For Former Marine, Graduation Testament to Perseverance, Accomplishment
Seth Voigt is the embodiment of leadership, dedication and perseverance.
During his four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Voigt led initiatives under the “Force Design 2030” strategy, including overseeing the Tactical Air Ground Refueling System and mentoring junior marines.
Still, the idea of pursuing a degree in construction engineering technology was rather daunting as the first major chapter in his post-military life.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t initially worried about the prospect of going to college after a four-year gap in formal education,” Voight said. “The Military Service Center made this transition seamless and helped me fully understand the benefits available to me.”
His work ethic and willingness to take charge also served him well as a Rocket.
As president of The University of Toledo’s American Concrete Institute (ACI) Student Chapter, Voight revitalized the organization, expanded industry engagement and led the team to earn the prestigious first place Judges Award at the international ACI Convention in the Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Bowling Ball Competition against more than 80 universities.
Engineering Seniors Bring Virtual-Reality Solution to Sunshine Communities
A motorized wheelchair can be a game-changer. 
Unfortunately, it can be a cumbersome process for a person with a physical disability to obtain one, explained Kelsey Garner, an occupational therapist at Sunshine Communities in Maumee, in large part because of the limited availability of demo models.
A team of undergraduate seniors developed a virtual reality tool to assess whether a person can safely maneuver a motorized wheelchair in collaboration with Sunshine Communities.
So she and her colleagues brought an idea to The University of Toledo College of Engineering, where undergraduate seniors have long been applying skills they’ve learned in courses and co-ops to real-life problems like theirs: Could Sunshine Communities speed up and simplify their motorized wheelchair assessment process using virtual reality?
As five of these seniors will demonstrate this week at the College of Engineering’s Senior Design Expo, where visitors can try their hands at navigating the simulated hallways of the nonprofit using a joystick and a virtual reality headset, they can indeed.
“I was constantly telling the students, ‘I don’t think you have any idea what an impact this is going to make on our world,’” Garner said ahead of a final demonstration last week. “I’m really excited about this. It’s going to be huge for us.”
Mechanical Engineering Senior Found Early Career Inspiration in Family
Jacob Reinhart, a senior mechanical engineering student at The University of Toledo,
found his way to engineering through family. 
Growing up in Carey, Ohio, Reinhart said he admired his father and grandfather — both mechanical engineers — who always seemed to have a solution for every problem, whether fixing equipment on the farm or tackling a household repair. That admiration sparked a passion for problem-solving that led him to UToledo’s engineering program.
“I always knew I wanted to be an engineer,” Reinhart said. “UToledo was an easy choice — the program is top-tier, the co-op experience is invaluable, and I could graduate debt-free.”
As he prepares to graduate Saturday, May 3, Reinhart is among an elite group of students being recognized for academic excellence. He is the spring 2025 Senior Scholar in the College of Engineering, earning the honor by maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his college career.
Reinhart’s engineering journey took a major step forward when he earned a scholarship from National Machinery, a Tiffin-based company specializing in metal cold forming machines. That opportunity turned into something much bigger. Over three co-op rotations — and additional work over school breaks — he gained hands-on experience in mechanical design. The company saw his potential early, and before graduation, he secured a full-time position as a mechanical design engineer.
“National Machinery has been incredibly supportive,” he said. “They provided me with opportunities to grow my skills, and now I’m excited to officially join their team after graduation.”
Among his many accomplishments at UToledo, Reinhart said he takes the most pride in his senior design project: a testing facility for large-scale human drone motors and propellers. His team’s work focused on creating a system to measure thrust, RPM and power output — critical for the future of personal aerial vehicles.
“These human drones are still a new concept and they require extensive testing to ensure reliability,” he said. “Our device helps make that testing possible.”
Aspiring Physician Advances Goals Through Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Shereen Yassine saw herself in a lab coat. 
It was a key reason the aspiring physician decided to enroll at The University of Toledo, where she knew that undergraduates have ample opportunities for laboratory research. She was excited to join their ranks the summer after her freshman year, working alongside doctoral and medical students to explore the health effects of environmental toxins in the laboratory of Dr. Steven Haller and Dr. David Kennedy.
“It’s one thing to be able to do research as an undergraduate, but it’s another to have such a supportive environment,” Yassine said. “I was hands-on and involved right away.”
Undergraduate research has opened numerous doors for Yassine, now a bioengineering senior who has co-published research in the peer-reviewed journal Cells and presented her work at UToledo and at national conferences of the Biomedical Engineering Society in 2022 and the Society of Toxicology in 2024.
And there’s more to come.
Yassine said she hopes to continue her research with the lab as a medical student at the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, where she’s been looking forward to being a student since she began at UToledo with an eye on its early medical school pathway BACC2MD.
She recently received her acceptance.
“UToledo has offered so much to me,” Yassine said. “I don’t know why I’d want to go anywhere else.”
Tech-Savvy Sophomore Follows Passion to New Cyber Security Program
Nora Bollinger prefers to play defense. Not on an open-air field or court, but on
the computer networks that have fascinated her since childhood. 
As a sophomore in the new bachelor of science in cyber security degree program, Bollinger is excited to work toward a career protecting these systems from attacks as part of what industry insiders call the blue team.
“You know how there’s penetration testing on the red team, where you attack the network to figure out its vulnerabilities?” she said. “I like building the defense a little bit more. I like figuring out the machinations of what’s going on and how to stop it.”
Bollinger is among the first students to pursue an undergraduate cyber security degree at The University of Toledo’s College of Engineering. Launched in fall 2024, the degree program aims to meet a rapidly growing demand for cyber security professionals who are trained to counter threats against computer networks and the valuable information stored within them in industries like finance, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, national security, smart infrastructure and more.
The Information System Security Certification Consortium estimated a 3.4 million global shortage of cybersecurity professionals in its workforce study in 2022. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes the job outlook for information security specialists as growing much faster than the average, with the number of jobs in the United States expected to grow by more than a third between 2023 and 2033.
Rocket Explores Engineering Across Borders
Trevor Brown, a UToledo mechanical engineering student, embarked on an extraordinary
journey for his Fall 2024 co-op, working with
Medical Microinstruments Inc. (MMI). His role as a testing engineer took him first
to Pisa, Italy, for 13 weeks and then to Jacksonville, Florida. Brown’s opportunity
arose when his uncle, an MMI employee, recognized his robotics background and suggested
he apply.
In Pisa, Brown worked at the company’s R&D and production office in Montacchiello, a hub for innovation where the Symani Surgical System — featured as one of TIME Magazine’s 200 Best Innovations of 2024 — was developed. His primary focus was inspecting and testing new instruments, contributing to a key company milestone.
“I gained invaluable experience and learned so much about the testing and manufacturing process while playing a significant role in ensuring timely inspections,” Brown said.
The skills Brown honed at UToledo, especially in SolidWorks and protocol-driven lab assignments, proved instrumental. His tasks included designing prototypes, conducting product inspections, and assisting in 3D printing—all pivotal to MMI’s advancements.