Former student turns dedicated Design Day judge: Q&A with Tyler Gleesing
Since graduating in 2021, Tyler Gleesing returns to Craig M. Berge Design Day each year as a judge, evaluating capstone projects and connecting with the next generation of engineering students.
Tyler Gleesing graduated from the University of Arizona in 2021 with a bachelor’s in electrical and computer engineering. He currently works as an electrical engineer at Parker Meggitt. During his time at the U of A, Gleesing pursued hands-on engineering projects that involved complex electrical systems and design. Since graduating, he has returned to Craig M. Berge Design Day each year as a judge, connecting with capstone teams as they present the projects they spent the year designing and building.
What made you want to participate as a judge at the 2026 Design Day?
When I went through the capstone project in the 2020-2021 school year, it was impacted by COVID, and most of the activities became virtual. I felt as if I missed out on getting to experience all that comes with Design Day. So, I was quick to get involved by sponsoring a project, Team 22035, through work and then joining as a judge the following year.
Gleesing works as an electrical engineer at Parker Meggitt.
How was your experience judging?
Design Day is always a lot of fun; this year, I was impressed by the sheer number of participants and people joining for the public session. In terms of highlights, we, Parker Meggitt, always take our sponsored team out to Gentle Ben’s restaurant to celebrate the completion of the program. Getting to celebrate the teams and spend some personal time with them is very rewarding. I enjoy getting to know the team members on a more personal level.
What did you look at in teams and projects as a judge?
I tend to focus on the team’s presentation skills and ability to effectively communicate their design. I also like to hear how every member contributed to the project; being able to work effectively with others translates well into the workforce.
What advice would you give students tackling capstone projects?
Prototype early! The sooner you start prototyping, the sooner you can find the mistakes in your design and fix them. Successful teams are most often those that have multiple iterations of the design.
How did your Design Day experience as a student prepare you for the workforce?
It was the one program that gave me a taste of what it is like to do an actual project with due dates and deliverables. Depending on your after-school profession, a lot of your classwork will become obsolete, but the capstone project serves as a good transition from a school mindset to one more suited for the workforce.
Would you want to serve as a judge again?
Yes, absolutely. Not only is it an enjoyable experience for me every year, but it is also nice being able to give back to the program that gave so much to me.
As a former student, it is the one day of the year when the College of Engineering really gets to showcase what it can do. I got to see so many interactions this year where students showed off their projects to family and friends. You can really tell how impressed people are by the results, and the students get to take pride in what they accomplished.
As a professional, it is the one time a year that I can step out of the aerospace industry and see what new and exciting emerging technologies are being developed. I especially enjoy the projects focused on sustainability as they are so different from my day-to-day work.
What have you been up to since graduating from the program?
I have been working at a Parker Meggitt site in Oro Valley for nearly five years since graduating. We develop and maintain several different battery and camera technologies primarily for business-jet companies.
On a more personal note, I am getting married this October so much of my personal time has been spent planning for that!