Aaron Willette
Degree Programs: M.S. ’13
Hometown: Chicopee, MA
Current Employer: Intelligent City
Job title: Director of Manufacturing Technology
Master of Science in Architecture Design and Research
“Taubman College has long set the standard for access to high-end fabrication equipment at North American universities and this, coupled with the ability to work with Wes McGee, are the primary reasons I attended.”
Why did you choose Taubman College?
It was rather simple — I chose Taubman because I would have hands-on time with the equipment in the Digital Fabrication Lab. Taubman College has long set the standard for access to high-end fabrication equipment at North American universities, and this, coupled with the ability to work with Wes McGee, are the primary reasons I attended.
Describe the work that you do.
As the Director of Manufacturing Technology at Intelligent City, I provide vision for the company’s continued expansion into industrialized construction and robotic assembly. I’m the lead for the selection and design of our manufacturing facilities and my team is responsible for the selection, procurement, installation, and commissioning of all of our manufacturing equipment. My team also provides Design for Manufacturing and Assembly feedback on developing our parametric mass-timber building platform.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on recently?
My team and I are in the midst of commissioning a small manufacturing facility that is the first to use industrial robots to assemble mass-timber prefab components in a production environment. As you can imagine this is a time-consuming process and has been our primary focus for the past year and a half.
How did Taubman College prepare you for your career?
Functioning with little sleep has unfortunately been useful. All joking aside, it gave me access to resources I wouldn’t have found anywhere else. Its combination of facilities, faculty, and staff is a force to be reckoned with.
What is an important lesson that has stayed with you from your time at Taubman College?
To put in the time to master my craft. As a research assistant in the Digital Fabrication Lab, I spend countless nights reading equipment and machine control manuals, and that eagerness to put in the time to understand my technology stack is something I use daily.
What did you like best about attending Taubman College?
Besides the fact that I met my wife while there, I’d have to say the simple fact that I was able to develop meaningful relationships with faculty. Individuals such as Wes McGee, Catie Newell, Mick Kennedy, and John Marshall provided extensive insight into my academic and career goals, and I’d like to think that I could easily email them today and pick up those conversations where we left off.