January 20, 2021
Leah Albietz with her 1993 Corvette she built with her father.
Leah Albietz is on the fast track, whether in or out of her race car.
“My dad owns a racing engine shop in St. Louis, and he has always been around the drag racing scene there,” Albietz said. “I’ve grown up going to the racetrack and helped him build engines whenever I could.”
Albietz, BS ME ’20, from Wentzville, MO, went beyond just engine building. At age 13, she started drag racing and joined the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
“When I was 16, my dad and I built a 1993 Corvette together for racing purposes,” Albietz said. “I still race that today, which is really awesome.”
Being around the automotive industry for most of her life, she was naturally drawn to mechanical engineering as a career choice.
“I really have a passion for the industry. Obviously with mechanical engineering you’re talking a lot about engines, thermal dynamics, heat transfer and more,” Albietz said.
Driving Her Career Forward
Albietz started at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, MI in July 2020. She is part of the Technical Rotation and Career Knowledge (TRACK) program. It allows entry-level engineers to switch jobs every six months within the company for up to two years, providing career flexibility.
“I just finished being a field action execution engineer,” Albietz said. “I investigated potential recalls, and then I worked on potential solutions to those recalls and executing them in those vehicles.”
Her current role, which Albietz just started, is in engine validation. She will be running various tests on engines and troubleshooting problems while the engines are in development.
“It’s really cool that I get to work in a big global environment and that I get to network with a lot of people,” Albietz said. “Keeping safety and customer satisfaction at the top of your task list is important.”
In addition to her position at GM, Albietz plans to move her 1993 Corvette race car to Michigan so she can start drag racing there once the season starts in March 2021.
Her Time at Mizzou
Albietz celebrates her graduation in 2020.
Albietz encourages engineering students to be active in student groups within and outside of Mizzou Engineering.
“Get involved in Mizzou Engineering groups, but also outside of engineering,” Albietz said. “That is how you develop yourself into a well-rounded engineer.”
She served as an Engineering Ambassador, Missouri Students Association Senator, and was the 2019 Homecoming float liaison for her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, among other activities.
“Being in groups helped me develop really good communication and leadership skills, which make you stand out as an engineer in the hiring process,” Albietz said.
In the classroom, she appreciated the courses she took in mechanical engineering.
“The classes had meaningful projects that the professors took from real-world scenarios,” Albietz said. “They definitely prepare you for technical projects that you are going to encounter in the workforce.”