Nguyen at UDM in 2008

Phuong Nguyen BS '07, MSEE '09, says he likes to be challenged. As a Vietnamese-American youngster growing up in Southwest Detroit, he liked to open up electronic devices to see what was inside.

Today as an electrical engineer at Lockheed Martin in Dallas TX, he fondly recalls the day when his name was called on his Detroit high school's intercom. He remembers, "I thought I was in trouble." The announcement was that he had been admitted to UDM with a full scholarship. "It was great news that changed my life forever," he says.

He says he chose UDM because of its co-op program, small class size, "generous scholarship (the Insignis Scholarship), knowledgeable engineering faculties and enthusiastic recruiter."

Taking at least 18 credits every semester plus being involved in numerous extra-curricular activities "kept me plenty busy," he recalls. "I volunteered and participated in almost all major campus events" including Tech Day, Midnight Bike Riding and the Chili Cook-Off.

"I think my best time was when I did the Senior Design," he says. "I was part of a team that built an autonomous robot to compete in the Intelligence Ground Vehicle Competition. We brought home the third place award." Then in the '08 competition, his team came in first overall. In '09 while as a grad student, he managed the Senior Design Team as a teaching assistant.

Engineering alumnus Phuong Nguyen '07, '08 (seated, far right) with the 2008 IGVC team.

Volunteering led him to meet E&S Dean Leo Hanifin.

"The first time I met Phuong, he was a freshman and the only person to volunteer to help paint the floor of the newly renovated Visteon Prototype Lab," says Hanifin. "He and I painted it together. He later became a Continental Teves Scholar and president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honorary of which I'm the advisor."

An Honors student, Nguyen also was a teaching assistant in several labs, a Board member of the Engineer & Science Student Council and a volunteer with the "Bikes for Kids" program, among numerous other activities.

"I had a great experience for both undergrad and grad studies at UDM," he describes. "I was challenged constantly with new concepts and fun projects."

Having done several co-op rotations with Continental Automotive Systems, following graduation Nguyen joined the company as a hardware engineer. Concurrently he started graduate studies at UDM and again became a teaching assistant.

Earlier this year, he accepted a position at Lockheed Martin, having been referred by Hanifin to UDM alumnus and Board of Advisors member Michael Dudzik, Lockheed's vice president of Science and Technology.

"Even though I did not meet Mr. Dudzik, his influence got me to the door of Lockheed Martin," Nguyen says. "This shows how powerful UDM's alumni networking really is, not only in advancing one's career but in starting out in this harsh economy."

While Nguyen works as an electrical engineer on an unmanned military vehicle program for Lockheed Martin's Missile and Fire Control Division, his younger brother Phong now studies electrical engineering at UDM.

"Besides working, I also mentor a middle school robotics team in the Dallas area," he says. "I hope to help motivate the next generation of engineers and scientists."

By mentoring, he hopes to impart some of the lessons he learned at UDM. "Not only did I learn technical skills, I learned the importance of written and verbal communication, teamwork and diversity. I became a critical thinker and problem solver. I learned many personal skills that have benefited me greatly. UDM taught me the importance of ethics, integrity and other core values that help make me a better person."