Eric Dolak
Hello, my name is Eric Dolak. I grew up in Harborcreek, PA where I graduated from high school in 19
96. I enrolled in the Behrend Mechanical Engineering program as a commuting student with the intent of transferring to the University Park campus after two years. Midway through my sophomore year, I became involved with campus life and became a Resident Assistant. Once plugged into the campus life, I realized that Behrend had a lot to offer. At Behrend, I had more opportunities in both my academic and social life than I previously thought possible. For example, I was able to participate in research at Behrend that would have been reserved for graduate students at University Park. I was also able to ride my mountain bike out the back of my residence hall and be on the trails with friends in no time.
After graduation in 2000, I accepted a job with Ingersoll-Rand as a part of their Leadership Development Program as a product development engineer. I believe that the senior design project at the end of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum was particularly helpful in preparing for a career in industry. At Ingersoll-Rand, I succeeded in two different business units working on designs for golf cars and gas turbines engines while earning patent awards and promotions. I was also able to maintain my relationship with Behrend by sponsoring Mechanical Engineering Senior Design projects and by returning to campus as a recruiter.
Most recently, I have decided to return to school and am currently pursuing Mechanical Engineering Masters and MBA degrees at MIT. I believe that the small class size and challenging course work that I experienced during my undergraduate career at Penn State Behrend was integral in building the necessary foundation to succeed in the future.
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