Education:

• Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
  • Mechanical Engineering, Doctorate of Philosophy, December 2001
  • Minor: Management of Technology GPA: 3.95/4.0 Advisor: Dr. Jack Lackey
  • Dissertation Title: Design, Operation, and Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of a Gas-Jet Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition System
• B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
  • Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science Degree, May 1997
  • Minor: Psychology QCA: 3.99/4.0 Honor: Summa Cum Laude

Experience:

• Research Staff Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (May 2004 to present)
  • Prometheus Program (originally Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Program)
    • Research use of refractory metals for space nuclear reactor components.
    • Designed a high temperature biaxial creep testing facility for refractory metals in liquid lithium and helium environments.
    • Studied diffusion of interstitial elements in refractory and superalloy materials.
  • Inertial Fusion Energy Program
    • Determine thermal-mechanical fatigue properties of first wall materials.
    • Developed a steady-state and transient finite element heat transfer model in ABAQUS to determine the peak temperatures achieved by the e-beam source and the temperature distribution throughout the sample holder.
  • Plasma Arc Lamp Technology
    • Apply infrared pulsed lamp technology to the processing of semiconductor and photovoltaic material to improve performance and efficiency
    • Decontaminate large areas exposed to chemical and biological warfare substances.
    • Detect explosive material threats by rapid chemical volatilization of chemical residue.
  • Thermoelectric Material Development
    • Research novel materials with the potential to produce a high TE figure of merit (ZT).
    • Led seed money program to test doped uranium dioxide at elevated temperatures.
  • Generation IV High Temperature Material Testing
    • Conduct creep testing of nickel superalloys to be used as core structural materials.
    • Proposed diffusion as the active deformation mechanism in high temperature, low stress applications. Current power-law predictions may be non-conservative
• Senior Aeronautical Engineer, Lockheed Martin, Marietta, GA (Feb 2002 to May 2004)
  • C-5 Galaxy Modernization Program
    • Determination of critical aerodynamic and inertial loads placed on the aircraft during various operational maneuvers. Design of cockpit panels and instrumentation.
• Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA (Fall 1997 to Fall 2001)
  • Design & construction of a novel laser chemical vapor deposition rapid prototyping system, capable of producing complex ceramic/metallic composite structures.
• Research Assistant, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (Summer 1997)
  • Studied the tribological behavior of polymer dashboard components with the goal of reducing vibrations and noise associated with stick-slip conditions.
• Cooperative Education Student, Du Pont, Richmond, VA (Fall 1994, Summer 1995 & 1996)

Honors:

• Eugene P. Wigner Fellowship, Oak Ridge National Lab (2004-2006)
• Sigma Xi Research Committee Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Thesis (Spring 2002)
• High Score on Ph.D. Qualifying Exams, Georgia Tech (Spring 1999)
• DOE Integrated Manufacturing Fellowship, Georgia Tech (1999-2001)
• Virginia Tech Outstanding Volunteer of the Year (1996)
• Eagle Scout (1991)

Skills:

• Computer-Aided Design Software: CATIA, Solid Works, Pro-Engineer, I-DEAS
• Computational Fluid Dynamics Software: Fluent, Cosmos/Flow, Flow3D
• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Selected Publications:

References available upon request.