Montana Tech electrical engineering alumnus part of rocket, satellite aerospace projects

When one thinks of “electrical engineering,” it may call to mind all of the powerlines and energy infrastructure that facilitate day-to-day operations in the modern world. One Montana Tech electrical engineering alumnus is encouraging prospective students to think outside of that view, to consider ways electrical engineers can pursue careers in the increasingly important field of aerospace engineering.

Tyler Holliday, (B.S. Electrical Engineering, ’18; M.S. Electrical Engineering, ’20), is currently a senior research engineer at the Space Science and Engineering Laboratory at Montana State University. Holliday’s work has mostly centered around the REAL CubeSat , a project scheduled to launch a satellite into space next year that will take measurements of electron loss in the uppermost layers of Earth's atmosphere.

“I also have a hand in our two recent sounding rocket launches, Hi-C Flare and FURST,” Holliday said. “Hi-C Flare was a mission conducted by Marshall Space Flight Center and we provided a small instrument, known as CAPRI-SUN, that was a piggyback alongside other payloads. CAPRI-SUN was intended to take measurements of solar flares at a high cadence.”

Holliday’s work showcases the numerous ways students can utilize their hands-on electrical engineering skills.

“I work in a field that is rather unique because, in a sense, I never left academia but yet I still do professional engineering work,” Holliday said. “Aerospace research, and by extension the aerospace industry, has a lot to offer young engineers and there are many, many paths that a person can go down. From building spacecraft flight computers to designing novel instruments meant to measure minute fluctuations in the surface of the Sun, you never fully know what your next major project will entail.”

Holliday says electrical engineering goes beyond the scope of the power grid.

“One of the things I wished I had a better understanding of as a prospective student was that there are more than the well-worn paths in front of you,” he said. “During my time at Montana Tech, I pursued embedded systems and signal processing which landed me in a job that deals with electronics that operate beyond the orbit of the power grid.”

Holliday says his experiences at Montana Tech prepared him for his current career.

“There are many things that are relevant to my career today, from the fundamentals I was taught in classes to the communication skills I learned along the way,” Holliday said. “I think the most important thing that I learned at Montana Tech was how to be a good leader and mentor. During my tenure, I served as president of the NASA Robotic Mining Club, worked as a resident assistant in the residence halls, and assisted students as a graduate teaching assistant. The skills I learned in those positions have propelled me in my career as a mentor for engineering students.”

Holliday says he recommends the program to prospective students.

“My reason for the recommendation has a lot to do with what drew me to Montana Tech to begin with, the smaller size, a great student-to-faculty ratio, and the university’s reputation. However, I would be remiss to not acknowledge the six years I spent at Tech were some of the most informative and character-defining years of my life.”