2021 Engineer of the Year John Wesley Nieto

2021 Engineer of the Year John Wesley Nieto

Senior Fellow L3Harris Technologies

Education: University of Missouri at Rolla, 1984, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

University of Missouri at Rolla, 1985, Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

How have you used your engineering skills for community and professional leadership? I have tried to be a technical leader at Harris Corporation and L3Harris Technologies during my entire career.

What do you consider your greatest engineering achievement? Designing, implementing and testing communication waveforms for use in wireless communications systems. Applying communications theory to real-world applications and then witnessing them work over the air is very exciting.

Describe a key event or individual that had a profound effect on your career. When I first started my career at Harris, I was placed in the Advanced Technology Department (ATD). ATD had a developmental program where new engineers were placed there to work with experienced engineers to expand their understanding and knowledge. The program’s goal was to transfer the new hires to different parts of the organization after a few years. I was lucky to remain in ATD for almost 10 years. All the engineers in ATD were very knowledgeable and bright, but in addition were also kind, friendly and willing to share all their knowledge with me. The almost 10 years I worked in ATD had a profound influence on the rest of my career.

What advice would you give to our scholarship recipients? Take the first couple of years in college to decide what path you want to follow and then embrace the fun.

Articulate your vision for engineering in Rochester. Rochester is a great place to live and work. There are many companies in the area that offer great opportunities for engineering work and these opportunities will continue to grow in the coming years. Engineering is alive and well in Rochester NY !!

2021 Engineer of the Year John Wesley Nieto, Senior Fellow L3Harris Technologies