How these two Huntsville engineers are crushing their career game right now

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We all know there’s no shortage of talented engineers in Huntsville, but how much do we know about what they do everyday?

We sat down with two Huntsville engineers, Jacob and Ben, to get a sneak peek into their success stories and their experience majoring in Engineering at the University of North Alabama. Here’s what we learned.

Meet Jacob and Ben

First up, introductions—let’s get to know Jacob and Ben a bit better:

Jacob

• Hometown: Florence, AL
• Lives in: Florence, but is moving to Huntsville after he gets married in May 2024
• Graduated from UNA: 2023
• Major: Engineering Technology (electromechanical concentration)
• Current position: Design Engineer at Dynetics
• Favorite place in Huntsville: Bridge Street Town Centre
• Fun tidbit: He played baseball at Bevill State Community College for three years

Ben

• Hometown: Florence, AL
• Lives in: Athens
• Graduated from UNA: 2019
• Major: Engineering Technology (electromechanical concentration)
• Current position: Manufacturing Engineer at Dynetics
• Favorite thing about Huntsville: The community aspect + quality of life
• Fun tidbit: Ben loves to collect watches, walk his dog + hang out with his wife

Fun fact: Even though they’re both UNA alumni and work for Dynetics, Jacob and Ben met each other for the first time at their Hville Blast photo shoot!

Top-notch engineering classes at UNA

Although the engineering program at UNA is fairly new, the university’s well-respected name has helped it attract top talent.

“I always knew I wanted to study engineering. After doing some research, I was excited to find UNA’s Engineering Technology program and learn more about the coursework from Dr. Rim. I was one of the first few engineering classes to graduate from UNA, and I’ve never looked back—it’s been great.”

Ben Ragan, Manufacturing Engineer, Dynetics

After playing baseball for a few years at Bevill State Community College, Jacob was attracted to UNA’s engineering program by the good things he had heard about it. While attending UNA, he received incredible advice from professors and life-changing financial help.

“UNA did a great job preparing me for the workforce. In early 2022, I asked Dr. Sullivan—the Department Chair—the best way to get an internship. He gave me a bunch of business cards and said, ‘It only takes one.’

That’s how I got in contact with Dynetics. If it wasn’t for him, it would’ve been hard for me to make that leap.

Plus, my last year there, I applied for a scholarship and got a full-ride for my final two semesters, which prepared me to succeed.”

Jacob Hall, Design Engineer

Looking for an excellent engineering program in North Alabama? Apply to UNA today.

Making a difference at Dynetics

Living in Huntsville, you’ve definitely heard of Dynetics, but what goes on inside the company on a day-to-day basis? Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look into the daily tasks of Jacob and Ben.

Jacob

After spending a year at Dynetics, Jacob started working full-time as a Design Engineer. He’s worked on a program called LAMS—Laser Air Monitor System—which will go into the Artemis shuttles 2,3,4 and 5 and the Orion Space Capsule.

He’s also on the production team and has spent a lot of time with the assembly integration and testing team. In his words, he’s a ‘utility player’ for Dynetics.

Ben

After graduating from UNA, Ben launched his career at Lockheed Martin before landing a job at Dynetics in 2020. As a manufacturing engineer, his day-to-day consists of scheduling, supporting operations, creating work instructions for building hardware and communicating with Design Engineers.

He oversees the entire process of getting a product from parts to complete assembly and out the door. Plus, he’s already earned several promotions in his career.

Start your success journey at UNA

If you’re ready to set yourself up for success like Jacob and Ben, check out UNA’s Engineering Technology major at a glance:

• Four paths:
  • Bio-Engineering Technology
  • Chemical Engineering Technology
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Power Generation Engineering Technology
• Credential: Bachelor of Science
• Time to complete: 4 years or less
• Cost: Get details here
• Mode offered: In-person + online classes
• Apply now

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