Lee Magpili
BS '03
Lee Magpili, who studied both aerospace and mechanical engineering at UB, is a senior model designer at the LEGO Group. Magpili’s primary job is to design LEGO sets, but no day is the same. On some days he is primarily staring at bricks, finding just the right piece that will work with his new model. After a design is completed, he must figure out how to convey the building process to his audience through instructions and box art.
When Magpili started the position, he designed sets that would never hit the shelves. Instead, he built sets for educational institutions and FIRST LEGO League competitions.
“I remembered all the stuff that I wanted as a coach from the sets, the rules and, most importantly, what I wanted to be able to teach the kids,” said Magpili. “I was able to incorporate that experience into what I was designing.”
He said that the ability to put himself into everything that he designs and learning something new every day are some of his favorite aspects of the job.
“You can do something a million different ways, but I have to figure out if it will be doable for the audience, whether that be young children or adults,” said Magpili.
In December 2023, Magpili tapped into his aerospace roots and contributed to the release of a space-themed LEGO Technic set, in a collaboration with NASA. He designed the Technic Surface Space Loader as a part of the launch that also included a Mars exploration rover and a heavy cargo spaceship.
"I was a Technic kid, and I was a space kid, so it was cool to get to make a set that was both of them,” said Magpili.
“I have been surprised at how much UB prepared me for my career,” said Magpili. “I may not have been a great student, but the engineering courses led me towards the understanding of what I do today.”
Magpili recalled enjoying a combined engineering class taught by Professor Kemper Lewis, now dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
"He put everything together and showed us how the equations for electricity, water flow and magnetism were all related. It was really amazing to me how everything was connected,” said Magpili. “So much of what I learned in my classes became a foundation of what I do today, and it has given me a lot of confidence in making decisions because I know where they are coming from.”