Hailing all the way from Ledgewood, New Jersey, I would like to introduce Tyler Orban. 

Orban is a senior mechanical engineering major here at Elizabethtown College. Mechanical engineering spoke to Orban as he saw it as an opportunity to make an impact. 

“I really wanted to make an impact within my work,” Orban said. “I’m not too comfortable with the icky, gooey, mushy stuff and finances were so boring to me. What wasn’t boring was mechanics. Buildings, planes, cars.”

What piqued his interest in engineering wasn’t playing with Legos or watching a parent work on the family car, but from one of his favorite movies. 

“I’m not gonna lie and say that I played with Legos all the time,” Orban said. “What really got me into this field, outside of the ethical component, was ‘Transformers’. I really liked seeing how you could turn a robot into a car and vice versa.”

With his degree, Orban hopes to do what he can to make a positive impact. After his summer internship with the pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb, he gained a great deal of interest in the field. At BMS, Orban worked as a reliability engineering intern.

“It was my job to see the equipment within the labs, the CNCs [computer numerical control], the LN2 [liquid nitrogen] tanks on the outside,” Orban said. “Learning as much as possible with the entire facility on how to operate and maintain them so we can have a longer shelf life.”

BMS works with pharmaceuticals such as T-cell therapy and other specified treatments for cancer patients. This is a way through which Orban is able to play an integral part in the healthcare system while steering clear of the examination room.

Orban has interests outside of his work with BMS.

“Another thing I want to do is work with alternative energies like nuclear, hydro, wind, solar,” Orban said. “I think those would be really interesting to work in. I feel like now more than ever, we need to have that sort of alternative energy idea within the conversation of the power grid because of everyone’s over reliance on AI and the companies pushing for that.”

With global warming, the rise of AI, the melting of the ice caps and many other contributing factors, Orban wishes to do whatever he can to help combat climate change. 

When he’s not increasing the shelf life of life, saving drugs or combatting climate change, he is attending a club meeting. Orban is a member of the Etown Democrats and a brand new member of Phalanx, Etown’s all-male acapella group.

“I can sing, baby!” Orban exclaimed.

To have fun and unwind, he plays Dungeons and Dragons with friends, plays piano and spends quality time with his roommates watching shows like “Cyberpunk Edgerunners” and the “Mandalorian”.

“Pedro Pascal is my favorite actor, I’m sure that was one of the most burning questions you had,” Orban said. 

Being so far away from home, Orban has done his best to create a large social group on campus and does what he can to combat home sickness with coconut air fresheners. 

“The smell of coconut really reminds me of home. That and banana bread,” Orban said. “Unfortunately there are no banana bread air fresheners. That’s a really untapped market, I feel like a lot of people would really like banana bread air fresheners.” 

If you happen upon a banana bread air freshener, give Orban a call.

His family is very important to him. In fact, his biggest inspiration is his loving, accomplished parents. Coming from two STEM majors, it only felt right that he followed in their footsteps. His little brother also helps in keeping his life interesting. 

“I have one little brother, who is both the best person in the world and the biggest pain,” Orban said. “I’m packing for senior year, we’re getting in the car, he’s like, ‘you’re a senior in college now, Ty. You know that makes you brunc now? Like a bro unc.’ Wrap it up.”

So if you’re looking for Orban, be sure to check in with the local retirement homes. When asked if there was anything else he would like to share, he had a few things to say.

“Brunc is not happening,” Orban said. “‘Mean Girls’ isn’t as good of a movie as people say it is. I want that on record, and just some advice for new people. Don’t be afraid of not knowing something. I think what’s really important is not being afraid of not being the smartest person in the room. Comparing yourself to your peers is the biggest poison. You’re here to learn. So you shouldn’t be afraid of the learning process and taking those first steps. That’s the best advice I can give.”