Justin Thomas

Background

About Justin Thomas

I originally wanted to be a mechanic when I grew old enough to get a job, like my father. He had other plans for me however, and I am glad he did. I spent a lot of time out in the garage with him, working on cars, learning about the complex machines and breaking them down into their principal components, identifying the problem, and implementing a fix for it. In doing so I learned how to troubleshoot, work with my hands, and how to break large problems up into smaller pieces that are more easily worked through. This experience set a great foundation for my future engineering career, and sparked a passion for the automobile that I will carry for life. I graduated from RIT in the spring of 2019, and started my engineering career at Thermacell Repellents Inc. It was exciting and I hit the ground running, then the world turned upside-down. The beginning of my career was not an easy one as I was not only a new engineer, but fighting challenges caused by a strained global economy. Even through these adverse conditions, working with incredibly talented people I was able to help the company develop and launch a first-of-its kind product, the LIV Smart Mosquito Repellent System. During the development I was in the role of a system integration specialist, learning and growing skills from IoT integration and data analysis, to system validation testing. It was the first project that I had worked on and taken from prototype to production, and it was an awesome experience, capped off with the device winning a Times Magazine Best Inventions of 2022 award. Outside of work I like to attend car shows, museums, and races, as well as watch F1. I like to spend time outdoors camping, hiking, and I want to get back into biking. I like to visit historic places around the New England area and tour everything from old mansions in the Berkshires to old Mill Buildings in Lowell! I am fascinated by the rich history in the area, specifically regarding the industrial revolution.