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.
CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2025 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement.
“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.”
Reinhart credits Dr. George Choueiri, his senior design advisor and an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, for his guidance throughout the project. Dr. Choueiri, who recognized Reinhart’s talent early on in the Applied Measurements and Instrumentations course, was impressed by his innovation, teamwork, and ability to lead.
Jacob Reinhart, who will graduate May 3 with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, followed his father and grandfather to a career in mechanical engineering.
“Jacob’s exceptional talent was clear from the start,” Choueiri said. “In my class, he and his team developed a velocity measuring device using a microcontroller, an ultrasonic distance sensor and an LCD screen to measure and display the velocity of moving objects. Knowing his potential, I was thrilled to serve as faculty advisor for his Senior Design group.”
That potential became evident as Reinhart and his team built a thrust measuring apparatus for large-scale drone propulsion testing.
“As communications lead, Jacob made sure I was always informed of the team’s progress,” Choueiri said. “At no point did I feel any resistance to suggestions or additional feature requests — rather, he and his team took every challenge and exceeded my expectations. Their dedication, innovation and skill produced a remarkable project that will benefit the University.”
With graduation approaching, Reinhart reflected on the support that helped him get here.
“My parents have always been my biggest supporters,” he said. “They encouraged me every step of the way, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”
With a degree in hand, a 4.0 GPA and a full-time job secured, Reinhart said he is ready to take on new challenges in the engineering field, as his journey from a young kid building in the barn to a professional engineer designing real-world solutions is just beginning.
His advice to future engineering students?
“Take full advantage of every opportunity,” he said. “The co-op program at UToledo sets you up for success — use it to find what excites you and push yourself to keep learning.”
