Co-op Spotlight: Gabriel Wang
Birthplace: Austin, Texas (Grew up in Phoenix, Arizona)
Major: Computer Engineering
Student Classification: Senior
Name and location of company where you are on co-op: General Motors in Warren, MI
Job duties: I am on the Calibrations team working as a Software Developer! My team follows a typical Agile software development plan with 2-week sprints where we accomplish tasks from a backlog and debug them to the best of the client's needs. To explain calibrations more, Calibration data is a collection of calibration constants that directly relay information to the VCU (Vehicle control unit). The VCU maintains these calibration modules so that it can provide data for any clients. Each calibration is broken into multiple parts including a unique identifier, data type, default value, size, min/max value, etc. Engineers create calibration modules to support different types of vehicles in the GM family. In more common terms, for example, if you have a Buick and a Cadillac, whose infotainment software runs very similarly, one button in the software might do a certain thing for the Buick, while it does something different or just doesn’t exist in the Cadillac. These modules are stored on a SoC or VIP platform and use either QNX or Android to configure. I am also working on a project where I am expanding an archive tool that has a database which stores all the calibration values. I am working with a Senior Developer as my mentor and I am learning so much!
Why did you want to do this co-op/What do you hope to gain from the experience? I wanted to do this co-op because I wanted experience in an industry that I’m really interested in. I’ve always been a fan of automotives so working in an auto-focused environment is very intriguing for me. Additionally, I am working with software/hardware that relates to my major so it’s another plus! General Motors is also providing more hands on activities that allows me to interact with new cars that have not even been released to the public yet! Whether if it’s checking out cars in the validation lab, driving around the track at Milford proving grounds, or shadowing another engineer on a different team, GM has done a great job of giving me an immersive experience.
Have you done other co-ops/internships as an ECE student? This is my first technical experience at a large scale company!
What are your ultimate career goals? As mentioned before, my desire is to continue in the automotive industry. Some certain roles I’m interested in are being a engineering general manager, product designer, or product owner.