Engineering Grit

“I have the opportunity to combine creativity with technical skill to solve real-world problems,” Russell Wetzler says about mechanical engineering, his field of study. Moreover, the degree doesn’t limit him to a single industry. “Depending on my interest, I can work within everything from space exploration to automotives.”

Growing up, Wetzler frequently built and fixed things alongside his father, sparking his love for problem-solving and mechanical things. In high school, he participated in robotics competitions and, with his teammates, traveled to Texas to participate in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics World Championships in 2022 and 2023. As the team’s head mechanic, seeing the countless hours of testing, problem-solving, and rebuilding culminate in competing on the world stage finalized his decision to pursue mechanical engineering at the university level.

In his first semester on the Long Island campus, Wetzler discovered the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences’ Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) and joined the 25-hour certificate program—a prerequisite to becoming an ETIC worker. To prove his skill and successfully complete the program, he created a mountable battery case.

“I felt an urgency to get involved in a program where I could develop my skills and accelerate my career,” Wetzler reflects. “The ETIC seemed to be the perfect environment to get hands-on experience, collaborate with other engineers, and work on projects that would make an impact.”

During summer 2024, Wetzler continued his ETIC “career” as a mechanical engineering intern, replicating prototypes. When his internship ended, he was promoted to full-fledged engineer. Now, Wetzler is a project manager, a position in which he is excited to grow his technical and leadership skills. He credits his evolving role in the ETIC with challenging him to continue improving and maturing both as an engineer and as a person.

There, Wetzler has primarily worked on prototypes as part of the university’s contract with the NASA Technology Transfer Expansion (T2X) initiative. In his newfound managerial role, he led all aspects of the creative process for two summer projects with ETIC Engineer Skylynn Kilfoil Greaves. They worked on—and continue finalizing this fall—the Foot Pedal Controller, a prototype originally started by Winston Wang (B.S. ’25). This device gives users a simple and intuitive way to operate equipment with their feet, freeing their hands for other tasks, reducing workload, increasing efficiency, and improving safety.

They also refined and delivered the Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System, a unit designed to support plant growth in microgravity by autonomously delivering nutrients, helping astronauts grow food with minimal intervention. Wetzler presented this and the Transport Ready Assisting Machine (T.R.A.M.) at the 2025 Ingenium Awards reception. The T.R.A.M., a powered loading and transport carting system—like a miniature forklift—received third place recently at the New York State Industries for the Disabled’s Cultivating Resources for Employment with Assistive Technology (CREATE) Symposium. Wetzler, along with fellow ETIC employees Tyler Hradek, Derrick Chiu, and Alana Singh, received $5,000 for the invention.

Outside of the ETIC, Wetzler is a senator for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and is a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. As an ASME senator, he facilitated getting two budgets passed so students could tour NASA Headquarters, network with professional engineers, and explore Washington, D.C. When he’s not on campus, the first-generation college student—paying his own way through school—works as a tool repair technician at Home Depot and volunteers on the audio visual team at his local church.

“It hasn’t been easy, but it has taught me an incredible sense of grit,” Wetzler says. “Every opportunity I’ve pursued has been fueled by the knowledge that I am building a future for myself through my own hard work.”

While his graduation date is a year and a half away, Wetzler is already sure of what his post-undergraduate life will look like. He plans to find work at a company involved in the robotics or automotive field with a focus on innovation to achieve his dream job of leading automotive design teams and contributing to cutting-edge vehicle technology development. Ideally, this company will help him pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

“Get involved early and take every opportunity to learn outside the classroom,” Wetzler advises other engineering students. “And remember that you don’t have to do this alone. Building relationships with mentors and peers is just as valuable as the technical skills you’ll learn.”