B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1992
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I joined MPR in 1992 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
Since joining the company, I have participated in projects involving a wide range of engineering
fields. In addition to increasing my technical problem-solving skills, I have developed my
abilities in other important areas such as technical writing, project management, schedule and
budget preparation, and proposal writing.
One of my recent tasks was to develop a computer model which predicts the transient behavior of a
diesel-generator and attached electrical loads. I was the “Cognizant Engineer” for this task, which
means I was the technical lead responsible for completing the task. Three other engineers were on
the project team, each working on various aspects of the job. As Cognizant Engineer, I had
technical as well as project management responsibilities. My project management responsibilities
included coordinating the efforts of the project team, maintaining good communication between team
members, monitoring the schedule and budget for the task, and reporting to the “Task Supervisor.”
The Task Supervisor oversees the task and is responsible for reviewing the technical work. My
technical role within the project team was to develop analytical models of the electrical loads
(e.g., motors, transformers, cables, heaters) attached to the diesel-generator. Developing these
models required researching the “first principles” associated with these electrical components and
developing the differential equations governing their transient operation. These equations are
then modeled using a transient simulation software package and validated against test data. When
we were finished, the model was provided to our client for use as a tool in evaluating changes to
their diesel-generators and their electrical systems.
Aside from my technical role with MPR, I also contribute in many other ways to the life of the
company. I have helped to develop and teach an in-house training class to MPR engineers, I
interview students at Carnegie Mellon University as part of our on-campus recruitment program, and,
on nice days, you might find me winding down after work by playing pick-up soccer with co-workers
and friends.
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