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���ϲ����� undergraduate Bryan Cabrera has been exposed to many different facets of engineering through hands-on manufacturing internships and research co-ops.

A Watson College Scholar studying industrial and systems engineering, Cabrera entered college familiar with the intensity of engineering coursework he’d have to take. He already had completed an accelerated degree program at Bard High School Early College.

But while Cabrera has earned over 100 credits (“It doesn’t get any better when it comes to class selection,” he jokes), what set him up for success is his initiative. For the past three years, Cabrera has been working with Mark Poliks, a SUNY distinguished professor in the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, as part of a long-term research co-op studying flexible microelectronics — all because he took a risk and asked.

“I basically just straight up asked if I could tour his lab,” said Cabrera, who was a first-year student at the time. “And then after I toured it, I was like, ‘Can I intern for you, unpaid?’ I just wanted to start to understand what I would be doing in the real world.”

Having impressed Poliks with his proficiency in the lab, Cabrera was hired as a part-time undergraduate researcher at the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM), where he continues to work.

Cabrera’s project looks to break the bounds of rigid technology by designing biodegradable and bendable electronic devices with the plasticity of a sheet of paper. This technology can be embedded into wearable items like shirts to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also could have performance-enhancing and military-grade applications, modeled after birth control patches.

“We’re now essentially entering a different dimension, where it’s no longer solid or different,” Cabrera said. “A different matter state. I mainly specialize in where you need to do mechanical testing, where you can basically take a piece of paper and you bend it back and forward, or you slide it or you pull it apart — seeing how much force it can take and how much electricity it can actually flow through that paper.”

Poliks said Cabrera is humble and kind and has become a positive and encouraging presence in the lab.

“Bryan has demonstrated remarkable dedication and enthusiasm for learning, along with an ability to quickly master new techniques,” Poliks said. “He actively contributes to our projects with a strong work ethic and a collaborative spirit that makes him thrive in any academic or professional setting.”

Thanks to his work with Poliks, Cabrera also landed a quality-control internship the following year at Regeneron, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. There, he tested components that make first contact with drugs like syringes, stoppers and vials for safety and precision.

“I really wanted to work with the drugs specifically, so that’s why I chose quality,” said Cabrera, who returned to Regeneron this summer as a mid-scale manufacturing intern. “I wanted to really feel like I was doing something important.”

Cabrera also works at Toyota Material Handling (formerly known as the Raymond Corporation). As a manufacturing engineer, he uses industry-standard tools like lasers, AutoCAD and SolidWorks to streamline the fabrication process in preparation for the first step of assembling trucks.

While he has collected multiple research papers, conference presentations and industry experience, Cabrera eventually hopes to pivot career-wise. He plans to explore the business-minded side of engineering by pursuing a master’s in systems science at Binghamton — using his real-world insights to venture into project management, consulting and finance.

“I’ve been advocating for a lot more undergrads actually to reach out to faculty, especially in the engineering world,” Cabrera said. “But I’m also a believer that faculty here want to help. … I believe that there are opportunities available for anyone in any major, any department.”