About

I am a consortium and collaboration builder, seeking out the best capabilities both within the organization and outside the organization needed to take a material figuratively and sometimes literally from powder to product. I engage both universities for graduate and post doctoral research and the national laboratories and have a long history of high quality research which has resulted in win-win situations for all involved. These research partners bring expertise and capital facilities to the problem’s solution, thus reducing development times and development costs. Very early on, I learned from doing microscopy that scale matters. When doing a microscopic analysis, it is necessary to work down in scale in logical steps to maintain context. Too large of a leap and understanding as well as model building ability are lost. We call this multi-scale modelling today. I have engaged in multi-scale modelling, sometimes going to the nano-meter scale where molecular dynamics methods are employed, while working on ceramic materials for presure vessels, carbon-carbon brake tribological modelling, and in development of fatigue resistant electroformed bellows seals. A prerequisite to any successful multi-scale model is fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. For my personal research, I have built an optical microscopy laboratory with differential image contrast, phase contrast, and polarized light capabilities. As a materials scientist, polarized light provides insight into structure/property relationships, such that I can ideate on parallel structures in artificial materials. I also built a histological specimen preparation laboratory with an emphasis on botanical and microbiological specimen preparation. The two accomplishments in which I have the most pride are development of the enabling materials for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter STOVL aircraft Three Bearing Swivel Module fuel powered motor, and the mentoring I have had the honor to give to enthusiastic students working toward their MS and PhD degrees or through their post doctoral studies. I collect, restore, and use antique scientific instruments to further my learning. I have a microscopy and histology laboratory chiefly used for studying chemical, botanical, and micro biological subjects. I have developed lectures on historical steel making and historical development of electrochemical corrosion theory to provide context to the next generation and supporting educating vs. training. To support all of my work, professional and personal, I have built a technical library of about 5000 volumes.