Mechanical Engineering Alumni Share Terp Pride at Bell Helicopter

Four recent ME alumni who are now working at Bell Helicopter continue to display pride in the University and program that taught them the skills that helped them become successful engineers. Ryan Goff '11, Aleksandr Gorbashev '08, MS '11, James Kromer '11, and Rabee Zuberi '09, MS '11 are part of the Drive System Design group at Bell, which is composed of young engineers and recent graduates from other schools. They show their Terp pride not only by coordinating days to wear UMD polo shirts and decorating their cubicles with stickers and photographs of Testudo, but also by recruiting UMD engineers and supporting research relevant to rotorcraft that can be performed in collaboration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Bell.

Terp pride and fellow mechanical engineering alumnus, Charley Kilmain '85, director of rotor & drive system design and recruiter for Bell Helicopter, is what brought Goff, Gorbashev, Kromer, and Zuberi together and has eased the transition into postgraduate life in a new city. They also remain proud of the university because the skills they developed in the Mechanical Engineering Department opened the doors to careers with Bell, allowing them to take part in such projects as the development of a new 525 Relentless commercial helicopter, V22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor, and AH1Z Cobra. Courses such as ENME 371 and ENME 472 provided them with hands-on experience in not only technical aspects of engineering such as fabrication and machining, but also in team work, technical writing, and managing – key skills for success at Bell Hellicopter.

Goff, Gorbashev, Kromer, and Zuberi agree that these two classes set the department apart from other engineering schools. “It is important to supplement the theoretical aspects of engineering with exposure to real life applications with hands-on experience. It is great that the department strives to give this opportunity to its students and, if possible, the department should continue to improve it,” they said.