ENGINEERING STAFF
The California Mechatronic Center's engineering staff consists of Sr. Automation Engineer Nick Repanich and Staff Engineer Jason Coates, along with trained mechatronic engineering students as assistants for time-consuming tasks.

NICK REPANICH
​CONCEPTUAL & SYSTEM-LEVEL ENGINEERING

As Project Director and Sr. Mechatronic Engineer, Nick Repanich leads the projects and provides the conceptual and system-level engineering. He works with Jason to develop the correct modeling formulas for your machine. He has an extensive 30+ year background in the industry. He developed a bustling Seattle high-tech automation equipment business in the 1990's, training a staff of 15 Automation Engineers. He teaches Motion & Machine Automation at CSU Chico, trains and mentors new engineers, conducts industry-wide technical  interviews, and is passionate about designing new machines. 

JASON COATES
CONTENT ENGINEERING
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Lead Staff Design & Automation Engineer Jason Coates usually provides the bulk of the engineering and directs the Engineering Assistants. He's been with the Mechatronics Center since 2005 and has earned recognition by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Labs for his innovative designs.  Nationally acclaimed talk-show host and Sr. Research Scientist Dr. Bill Wattenburg describes him as "extremely clever... one of the brightest young engineers in the world in robotics".  
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MECHATRONIC ASSISTANTS
ENGINEERING STUDENTS
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​Access to students keeps costs low. CSU Chico is one of a handful of schools in the nation that offers a degree in Mechatronic Engineering, and we have direct access to the talent.  We hire and train recent grads and senior mechatronic engineering students who have completed the upper-division MECA 486 program.  They perform the Mechatronics Center's supervised, time-consuming engineering tasks such as Solidworks, programming, tuning, wiring and testing. By using supervised students as engineering assistants, your costs are kept low, and you provide them with valuable hands-on design experience. Since 2006, we've employed over 100 Mechatronic Assistants.