{"id":59222,"date":"2020-04-27T03:30:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T07:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=59222"},"modified":"2020-04-23T15:17:55","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T19:17:55","slug":"problem-solving-is-nothing-new-to-engineering-graduate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/04_27_2020\/problem-solving-is-nothing-new-to-engineering-graduate","title":{"rendered":"Problem-Solving is Nothing New to Engineering Graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Justin Fleming knows how to make things work.<\/p>\n

The Sycamore, Ohio native, who will graduate May 9 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering technology, served as an electrician for six years in the U.S. Air Force prior to transferring to The University of Toledo for his final two years of college. That experience brought a unique, valuable perspective to his studies.<\/p>\n

\"Graduation<\/a>

CELEBRATING SUCCESS:<\/strong> During this time when we cannot come together to celebrate our graduates, UToledo is recognizing the Class of 2020 with a series of feature stories on students who are receiving their degrees. Help us celebrate our newest UToledo alumni. Visit utoledo.edu\/commencement<\/strong><\/a> to share a message of support to graduates and come back online Saturday, May 9, to take part in the virtual commencement ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn this field, you work in the middle \u2013 you have to speak both the language of engineers, and the language of craftsmen like electricians,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cI hardly touched a plane during my time in the Air Force, but I did learn how to build and work with many different types of systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

While in high school, Fleming started in a vocational program for computer science, but gradually found his niche as an electrician thanks to influences in his family and basic training tests for the military, which reinforced where his strengths lied.<\/p>\n

After four deployments \u2014 including to Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates \u2014 all to build and maintain power lines, airfield lights, generators and other heavy-duty equipment, the transition from the military to his engineering coursework was relatively seamless. But he did find some surprises along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time I got to UToledo, I had been doing many of the things in my early courses for a long time,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cBut the more I got into my degree, I started looking back and realizing why some projects didn\u2019t work. We misunderstood how electricity runs through different systems and components.\u201d<\/p>\n

Understanding how to dismantle a problem and examine various possible solutions served Fleming well during his final semester when the shift to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic posed its own challenges.<\/p>\n

\"Justin<\/a>

Justin Fleming, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology, is a member of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers. His six years in the U.S. Air Force paved the way for success at UToledo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe first person I called when we learned classes would not happen in person was Niki Kamm,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cWe brainstormed on how to do senior design projects and labs when we couldn\u2019t be there in person. She\u2019s the type of instructor that refuses to let anyone fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

That combination of receiving hands-on, practical training from approachable instructors has prepared Fleming well for his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustin is the engineer any employer would be grateful to have,\u201d said Kamm, associate lecturer in the Electrical Engineering Technology program. \u201cHe has been the kind of engineering student that betters the classroom experience for all those in it \u2014 inventive, intelligent and inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the unique, mandatory co-op program at the College of Engineering, Fleming has worked in three different rotations servicing electrical lines for American Electric Power: two in Fostoria, Ohio and one in South Bend, Ind.<\/p>\n

\"Fleming<\/a>

Prior to attending UToledo, Justin Fleming (back row center) was deployed to United Arab Emirates as an electrician during his six years of military service with the U.S. Air Force.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ultimately, he points to 39 days in Afghanistan that have set the tone for his career and livelihood. It was January 2016, and he was sent to a small U.S. Army base that had gone months without running water or electricity. In that time, Fleming\u2019s team succeeded in their assignment to provide the basics: washing and drying equipment, showers, electricity for communications, a full-blown kitchen and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen 40 guys look so happy to wash clothes,\u201d Fleming said. \u201cThat\u2019s the moment I saw that my turning wrenches and installing light bulbs makes an impact on other people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Justin Fleming, who served as an electrician for six years in the U.S. Air Force prior to transferring to UToledo for his final two years of college, will receive his bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":853,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,6,69,1,7],"tags":[70],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59222"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/853"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59222"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59234,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59222\/revisions\/59234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}