BOLD 10 Under 10 winner credits Watson College for motivation to leadership

Binghamton University’s BOLD (Bearcats of the Last Decade) 10 Under 10 Award honors alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years, demonstrated a very high level of career achievement since leaving campus and show great potential for future leadership.

One of this year’s winners is Brandon Sheiner ’14, an alumnus of the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science. We asked him to tell us how Watson influenced his career path.

Sheiner is a licensed professional engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and real estate investor. He graduated from Binghamton University with a BS in mechanical engineering and more recently earned a MS in computer engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

His experience and expertise as a consulting engineer, including his current role as director of commissioning and energy services at Skyline Engineering, has earned Sheiner unique opportunities to provide engineered solutions for many high-end New York City landmark buildings, such as the World Trade Center and The Plaza Hotel.

As CEO and founder of Sheiner Engineering and Design, he holds multiple U.S. patents and trademarks for his inventions and product lines. His portable laptop sunshade, Tech Shade to Go, achieved great success in the consumer marketplace, was featured in USA Today and was named a “#1 New Release” and “Amazon’s Choice” by Amazon.com.

Beyond the U.S. consumer market, his products have sold globally in numerous foreign market such as Canada, Mexico and Japan. More products are launching soon, with others in the design and development phases.

Sheiner attributes much of his success to his family, friends and mentors. Understanding the importance of giving back to his community, he volunteers his time providing engineering support to nonprofit organizations such as Friends of Karen, serves as the current vice president of ASHRAE NY Chapter (which advances the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and allied fields), organizes Habitat for Humanity Build-Days and participates in alumni panels hosted by Theta Tau, where he offers mentorship to his fellow fraternity brothers and future graduates of Watson College.

What is it like receiving an award like this?

Receiving this award is truly an honor. Big goals take time to achieve, and much of the required work is performed in private, not in the public spotlight. This award is an incredible milestone. I am thankful for the opportunity to have my professional and personal accomplishments recognized and celebrated among family, friends and fellow Binghamton University alumni.

How do you think your time at Watson set you up for success?

Watson College supported my development with a strong foundation of knowledge in engineering principles and problem-solving approaches. The challenges and high level of expectation established by Watson professors created a motivational environment that forced me to enhance my abilities in learning complicated topics and new subject matter quickly and efficiently. Independent assignments combined with group projects amplified my teamwork skills and heightened my self-discipline to a level every great leader must master.

Lastly, the diversity of the student population provided opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life in an environment that cultivated mutual respect and cooperation while working toward a common goal.

Which Watson class or professor changed the way you thought about your area of study?

Working as a research assistant to Distinguished Professor Ronald N. Miles was an invaluable experience. I was very fortunate to have Dr. Miles as a mentor and professor. While working together, I designed tooling and apparatuses that assisted in testing and fabrication of prototypes and enhanced user safety during such tasks. Knowing I had the support of such a well-respected and accomplished professor encouraged me to confidently take the leap from learned theoretical knowledge to the application of that knowledge toward real-world solutions. Thank you, Dr. Miles, for your support and tutelage.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time here at Binghamton?

My most precious memories include those as a brother of Theta Tau professional engineering fraternity, and my time working at The Rathskeller. I always will remember with pride and a smile on my face when I was Greek God. The commitment to diet and training that was required to get into proper physical shape for the Greek God competition was intense, to say the least. Successfully overcoming these challenges, bonding with my fraternity brothers and hearing a roaring crowd supportively shouting my name during the competition are memories I will always cherish.

What advice would you give to current Watson students?

Be a student of life. Graduating from college is not the end of your education — it’s just the beginning of your most valuable lessons to come. Always approach problems with a desire to learn. Form a more thorough understanding of issues from multiple perspectives before assuming to know the best solution.

No one person knows all the answers, and no one person ever can. The real world has so many variables and infinite possible outcomes that no one person has the capacity to do or know it all. Prioritize building a trustworthy, intelligent and supportive team around you, and do not undervalue the importance of being trustworthy and supportive to others in return.

Learn from the past, focus on the future and be present in the present. The past is history, literally. Don’t be afraid to temporarily fail at something, but when you do fail, fail forward! Learn from your own and other people’s previous mistakes, and apply that knowledge to help you succeed in the future.

Maintain a mindset of continuous improvement, positivity and appreciation.

Dream big, dare, do! The amount of effort it takes to do something great is often not much more than the effort to do something mediocre, but the results are vastly different.

• Dream big: Set goals so huge that you likely won’t achieve them exactly as you originally plan.
• Dare: Be daring enough to go after those goals and ignore those who discourage you from pursuing them.
• Do: Take intelligent actions toward achieving your goals. Set milestones (sub-goals) that build toward your larger goal. Having more manageable sub-goals will aid you in making forward progress in a more trackable and attainable manner. Climbing to the top of a mountain in a single leap is unlikely to yield a successful outcome, but taking continued smaller steps toward the top will surely get you there safely.