Professional Practice Hall of Fame Inductee: Mike Reagin
Mike Reagin's first Cooperative (Co-op) Program experience started in high school.
That first exposure at General Motors (GM) in Anderson, Indiana, only made a Purdue University education — and the strong co-op experience through the Office of Professional Practice (OPP) — more of a priority, and he enrolled at Purdue in 1984. Rotating between education and work was a refreshing, exciting dream. Even if it meant an extra semester or two before starting studies for a master’s degree, he would graduate with both competitive experience and no debt.
“The best thing that co-op gave me was exposure to the life of an engineer," said Reagin (BSCEE’89, MSEE ’91, PhD ’13), currently director of controls engineering at Rheem Manufacturing.
Reagin's career, rich in both variety and impact since that first co-op, has earned him recognition in the Professional Practice Hall of Fame. The banquet to honor the eight inductees on Oct. 23, 2026, is hosted by OPP. Hall of Fame inductees are Purdue alumni with exceptional careers and/or continued involvement in OPP as professional connections and mentors for students.
“What truly sets Mike apart is his genuine commitment to developing future talent,” wrote Anna Townsend, talent acquisition manager at Rheem and Hall of Fame nominator. “He goes beyond day-to-day supervision by providing career guidance, sharing industry insights and helping students connect their academic experience to real-world applications. His ability to build confidence and foster professional growth leaves a lasting impression on the students he mentors.”
The impression Reagin leaves on students is comparable to the impact co-ops had on his career, he said. Due to enriching experiences with GM, Reagin continued with the company in a fellowship program while pursuing a master's from 1989-1991. At the time of graduation, Reagin had already spent nearly four years in the GM ecosystem.
He transferred to Delco Electronics in Kokomo, Indiana, in 1995 specializing in hands-on automotive work. Reagin held a project engineering role, building skills in software and system architecture. He would spend 18 years with Delco Electronics / Delphi and eventually transition into working with product testing and manufacturing — with automotive electronic modules — as a test competency specialist.
Reagin’s sense of organization and thoroughness in product development and testing made him an ideal candidate for the manager of electronic controls at Rheem Manufacturing Company. He joined Rheem in 2013. Working with intricate sensors and electronic controls required a passion for the micro and an intense eye to detail, both of which Reagin possessed.
But at Rheem, his work was more than electronic controls and embedded software for air and water heating products. Reagin was also managing a full team and reporting their progress to administrative teams. His engineering expertise gained a social dimension — one already crucial to his education and career now branching into leadership.
“One of the things that's unique about the co-op experience is, basically, having the opportunity to work on authentic problems as part of a team,” Reagin said. “Dealing with all the real-world things that come from a project at scale and involve multiple disciplines really clarify that very few problems are solvable by yourself. A high-performing team has collective ownership of a solution.”
The social aspect of work didn’t daunt Reagin. He embraced it, both in talking to the team and in returning to Purdue, only an hour away, to talk to Purdue engineering students. Reagin had been set up for a high-achieving career by Purdue mentors and, later, co-workers who acted as mentors. It was his turn to do the same.
It’s “magic” to watch Reagin recount stories, wrote a Hall of Fame nominator. And it clearly leaves an impact. The Indianapolis office where Reagin, from Noblesville, works began the trend of hiring a consistent base of Purdue students. Being run by Purdue alums, the office is familiar with and seeking out the talent Purdue has to offer.
Working with Purdue students is worth celebrating for Reagin. And to be celebrated for it in the Hall of Fame is an honor he will not forget. Purdue provided him with a strong career start and the opportunity to mentor — and a family with 10 Purdue degrees between the five of them.
“In every possible way, it was a positive, beneficial experience,” Reagin said. “It’s nice to be a part of something that has been so important to my career, and I would like everybody to have the opportunity to experience it just the same. You learn engineering by doing, and that makes the Co-op Program ideal for everyone interested in the field.”