Alumni Feature - Brian Sherry '16 '18

Brian Sherry ’16 ’18 goes to work each day as a design and development engineer at Deep Coat Industries in north-suburban Sugar Grove, Illinois. Deep Coat Industries recently developed a new process for metalizing equipment and computer systems. Metallizing is a thermal spray coating process utilized to protect equipment, and humans, from injury. Brian's daily activities at work can run from client management to monitoring 3D printers, to analyzing the chemistry behind the metalizing process.

Brian, who graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree in chemistry from Lewis, says he spent the majority of his time learning from his mentor, Dr. Jason Keleher, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Chemistry. Brian credits Dr. Keleher’s research lab for challenging him to solve problems faster, work smarter, and understand the importance of meeting a deadline for a project. 

Brian loved his time in Dr. Keleher’s lab so much that he donated $1,000 of his first paycheck to it.

“Dr. Keleher always works incredibly hard to get whatever we needed through grants or company-funded projects, so I figured once I had the means to give something back, I would donate my first week of pay to the lab.”

Brian says Dr. Keleher always challenged his students to think outside the box and make creative thinking a habit, something that Brian first started learning while building lab equipment as a student. The result of being pushed to his creative limits, Brian says, was being the most qualified and prepared candidate for his job.

"Dr. Keleher and I were always pushing the boundaries of what could be made or studied with unconventional methods. It was the engineering and design work that we put into the numerous ‘invented' technologies used in the lab that gave me the opportunity to interview with my current company. It is safe to say that thinking outside the box and constantly inventing new ways of doing things is the reason I got my current job."

Brian is just settling into his new role but he has set his sights on one day taking the lead in his workplace.

"Working at a small company is great and the people I work with are hopeful that the company will continue to grow. My goal is to take my current position as a sole engineer into a team or department leadership role if we get to the point where more engineering resources are required."

Brian hopes to continue to be an active alumnus in the Lewis community, specifically in Dr. Keleher’s research lab, and help Flyers achieve their dreams of earning a chemistry degree!