In making custom magnets and products you need reliable and skilled project managers and lab technicians to get the job done. In Sante Fe, Cody Stelzer is a pro at both! We chatted to Cody about his most memorable projects, and his roles here at Woodruff Engineering, and learned he’s even an All-American high jumper!
What is your current position and how long have you been with Woodruff Engineering?
I’m a project manager and lab technician and I’ve been working with the team for 2 and a half years now.
What were your first impressions of Woodruff Engineering?
My first impression was that the lab is straight out of science fiction with all the high-power components and instrumentation you don’t normally get to see and use. Each project has unique demands that require custom manufacturing techniques or learning new skills; getting to design, learn about, and implement these always gives me a sense of accomplishment.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
As a project manager and lab technician, I most enjoy the variety of skills I get to employ when working on projects. One day I might be programming a control system, the next assembling and wiring a power supply, laser cutting parts, designing and 3D printing custom parts, or welding cooling plates. It never gets repetitive.
What is your favorite project you have worked on?
I enjoy any project in which I have to learn something new. One project required copper tubes to be set in channels in aluminum cooling plates with a tight bend that kept kinking the tube by normal bending methods. To resolve this I designed and 3D printed a three-part die that let us press the tubing into the correct bend without kinking.
What do you think of Woodruff Engineering’s company culture?
The company culture is super supportive and collaborative. Being a small company, our team works closely to come up with solutions, educate one another, and assist each other however we can.
What led you to this career path?
I’ve always enjoyed building things, especially involving electronics. It is extremely satisfying to design and build a circuit or program a microcontroller and getting it to work as intended. Even when this doesn’t always happen on the first try, understanding, troubleshooting, and overcoming problems have been part of the fun of working at Woodruff Engineering.
And what about outside of work?
When I feel up for facing the elements I enjoy snowboarding and dirt-biking, but am perfectly content relaxing playing video games, reading, or hanging out with my fiance and our cat and two dogs. During the spring, I also coach high school high jump at Santa Fe Prep. I was an All-American high jumper in college. Actually, the first time I visited New Mexico was for the US Indoor championships in Albuquerque. My fiance and I look forward to our upcoming trip to Brazil for Carnival! Here in Santa Fe, I am also excited about some artistic metal projects I have been planning.