About Me

When I was about 12, my best friend attempted some do-it-yourself bicycle repair.  He liked to ride fast, and the rear coaster brake hub of his Schwinn Stingray had begun to noticeably cramp his dare-devil style.  So he took it apart.

I got a phone call late that afternoon.  "John, I've got some parts left over.  Do you think that might be why it's not working?"

"You did the right thing by calling me," I said.  I went over to his house, undid his "repair" job, and put his bike back together good as new.  I charged him 25 cents.

Many boys take their toys apart to see how they work.  I did that as well, but with a difference.  I got them back together again, and usually with improvements.

This curiosity and natural affinity for machinery of all kinds, from lawn mowers to stereos, cars to computers, led me to pursue a strange mix of studies at university. History, mathematics, writing, computers, music, German, Russian, religion, literature, and physics would somehow all mesh together and form a typical day for me.  

Eventually I stuck with Physics because it was the most challenging subject, and it answered more of my questions than anything else.  In 1988 I received a Bachelor's Degree cum Laude of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Physics from Arizona State University.

By that time, I had accomplished the following:

• Taught myself electronics
• Learned to speak German fluently
• Taken apart and reassembled an entire automobile
• Learned skiing and backcountry skills
• Learned carpentry and metalworking
• Competed in 110m high hurdles for 3 years
• Learned calculus, differential equations, computer programming, welding, piano, saxophone, and an enormous quantity of science of every kind.
• Traveled extensively in Europe and the western US

Where to from there?  Aerospace engineering.  In 1998 I received a Master's Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Utah State University, covering such subjects as:

• Thermodynamics and heat transfer
• Structural strength and vibrations
• Internal combustion engines
• Control systems, feedback and dynamics
• Advanced control algorithms, adaptive control, non-linear systems, and predictive control
• Space systems and spacecraft design
• Numerical analysis
• Robotics

But it's never enough.  Through various jobs, contracts, self-education and consulting for my clients, I have continued to learn:

• Rotordynamics and machine fault diagnostics
• Fluid bearing design
• Gas bearing stabilization
• Statistical analysis
• Lasers and optics
• Vibration isolation
• Vacuum vessels and controls
• Public speaking
• Business management and accounting
• Greenhouse gas analysis
• HTML and web design
• Sales and marketing

Do I have all the answers you need?  NO, I DON'T!

When you have the ability to create and access knowledge, you have an unlimited source of power and competitive advantage in an ever-changing marketplace.