Bradley Schalk
Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who likes working close to the hardware and carrying ideas from design into the real world.
Background
I'm studying for a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in May 2029. My experience has ranged from aircraft CAD and flight testing to robotics, automation, machining, CAD/CAM, controls, manufacturing, and hands-on troubleshooting.
I'm especially interested in aerospace and space systems, but what I enjoy most is engineering work that crosses disciplines and lets me understand, build, test, and improve a full system rather than staying confined to one narrow task. Being able to design something, build or integrate it, test it, troubleshoot it, and watch the engineering become real hardware is the part that keeps my attention.
A summer as an engineering intern at Metamora Industries is a large part of why. I moved between two modes of engineering that often stay separate: designing and programming at a computer, then building, wiring, and troubleshooting on the floor around live production machinery. That work is not my career goal in itself — it is where I learned what happens to a design after it leaves CAD, which is something I want to carry into aerospace work.
What I've worked on
- Aircraft CAD and large assembly modeling in Siemens NX
- Aerospace design, fabrication, and physical flight testing
- Industrial robotics, automation, and controls
- CAD/CAM, machining, and manufacturing support
- Reverse engineering, prototyping, and 3D printing
- Hands-on troubleshooting on real production equipment
How I work
- Start from the physical constraint, not the ideal geometry
- Model with the manufacturing process already in mind
- Test the real thing — simulation and CAD only get you so far
- Measure results so design decisions can actually be compared
What I'm looking for
Challenging, hardware-heavy engineering roles — especially in aerospace and space — where I can contribute to tangible systems and work across areas like design, testing, manufacturing, systems integration, mechanical hardware, vehicles, and structures. I'd rather be somewhere that lets me touch several parts of a system than be boxed into one narrow slice of it.
- Degree
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
- University
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Graduating
- May 2029
- Minor
- Business
- Eligibility
- US citizen · eligible for US security clearance · willing to relocate
- Location
- Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
- [email protected]
Teams and leadership
- Liquid Rocketry at Illinois
- Member, Engine subgroup — engine design discussions and propulsion subsystem analysis
- ISS SpaceShot
- Participant
- Glider project
- Team lead — design, fabrication, and flight testing
- Triangle Fraternity, UIUC
- Merchandise Coordinator · Rush Chair · Social Chair
I also have a genuine interest in the business and leadership side of engineering. Through campus leadership roles and project work I've picked up experience leading event logistics, vendor coordination, merchandise procurement, and recruitment as part of my chapter's executive leadership — useful whenever engineering decisions have to connect to schedules, budgets, and people.
Technical skills
Design & CAD
- Siemens NX
- Fusion 360
- Part modeling and large assemblies
- Constrained mechanisms and motion
- Aircraft and aerospace geometry
- Reverse engineering from measurements
- Rendering and engineering animation
Build & test
- Prototype fabrication
- Flight testing and design iteration
- Mechanical assembly and fit-up
- Hand measurement and layout
- Hands-on troubleshooting
- 3D printing
Manufacturing
- Fusion CAM
- CNC machining and milling
- Vertical machining centers
- Custom workholding and soft jaws
- Design for manufacturability
Robotics & controls
- FANUC teach pendant (TP) programming
- FANUC RoboGuide simulation
- PLC ladder logic
- Sensor I/O, interlocks, and safety devices
- Robot–machine tool integration
- Machine vision integration support
Programming & other
- Python
- Java
- Microsoft Excel
- Mechanical troubleshooting
- Forklift certified
- German (professional proficiency)
See the work
The project pages go into detail: what the problem was, what I personally did, what software and equipment were involved, and what was actually built and tested.