Young Alum Soars into Career with Military Jet Engines

While attending Tappan Zee High School in nearby Rockland County, N.Y., Tyler McCloskey ’17, ’18 (M.S.) knew he wanted to pursue aerospace engineering at a strong academic institution that offered a Division I swimming program. 

“I had a lot of options, but Manhattan had the best combination to let me continue swimming at a Division I program and at a great engineering school,” McCloskey said.

McCloskey did not let his opportunity go to waste. Unlike most incoming students, McCloskey was fortunate enough to start college with enough credits to give him sophomore status. He eventually completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering in three years, and a year later, earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, with a concentration in aerospace engineering. And during the 2017-18 season, he led the Jaspers’ swimming and diving squad as a team captain.

The tight-knit environment and smaller class sizes were two key reasons why McCloskey chose Manhattan College. Those traits also helped McCloskey on the path he followed to two degrees in four years. He was able to know most faculty by name and create a personal relationship with them.

“What I really liked is that Manhattan puts a lot of the ownership on the student. They are available and ready to help if you are engaged and ready to learn,” McCloskey explained. “The faculty are very knowledgeable and have a wide range of experiences, not only academically, but in the engineering industry.”

McCloskey made especially close connections with John Leylegian, Ph.D., an associate professor of mechanical engineering and head of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics senior design project. 

“Not only was Tyler a strong student, he was very good at time management, based on all of his extracurricular activities,” Leylegian said. “He also has excellent communication skills, as I saw in my courses with him. Whatever he decides to do, he will excel.”

Senior Design Project Leads to Career

During his senior year, McCloskey and Leylegian worked on a senior design project to develop a matlab code to analyze a ramjet – an air breathing jet engine. Based on certain inputs, the code showed different velocity, temperature, and pressure profiles, while air traveled through the ramjet. This project proved to be critical to his next step.

After receiving his master’s degree in 2018, McCloskey accepted a position at Pratt and Whitney, an American aerospace manufacturer that specializes in the development of aircraft engines.

McCloskey specializes in the military sector program management office, where he is involved in the construction of engines that are later used on military aircraft. “In the program management office, I could be dealing with supply chain, engineering or sustainment for aircraft engines that are already in the field,” McCloskey said. “It is a really cool, broad-ranging part of the program and it has been a great experience.” 

–by John Dove '18, '20MBA