Favorite Snack: Snickers Bar (Yes, they are gooood.)
Favorite Color: Orange
Hobby/Recreation: Woodworking and camping (although not at the same time)
Favorite T.V. Show: Star Trek
How Many Push-Ups Can You Do? "Three, if I'm lucky."
Favorite Toy Growing Up: "None. I took them all apart."

What are you currently working on?
"I'm currently working on the APG-68 radar - the most advanced radar for a fighter, the F-16 in particular. It has new modes in it, extended range searching capabilities, and can track multiple moving targets, more so than it has in the past. It also has a new technology to build radar maps to give the pilot the view of what he's looking at, even though he's in complete darkness, or through clouds or smoke."

What kind of training and mentoring does Edwards offer new hires?
"If a new hire came into my section, I would normally pair that person up with a senior member. And we do a lot of mentoring. Normally, the new person would work on the project his or her mentor is working on, and be shown the ropes, like how a project gets completed. In the course of my career here, I have had a hand in molding someone's new career, and I look upon it as a privilege. I have mentored three or four people so far who have gone on to great careers of their own. And it's really nice to see someone who was a new hire going on to become proficient around the airplanes."

Tell us about the training for new engineers joining Edwards.
"When new employees come in, they join the New Engineer Training on base. It's an accelerated course that takes somebody who knows nothing about flight testing, and within four months or so, gets them up to a Journeyman level, and then they can use that knowledge to do their job. The training is broken up into four sections: performance flying quality, avionics, Air Force doctrine, and how the Air Force works. I teach the radar section of the training. It's basically an all-day class-we teach radar equations, what type of testing we do here for a particular radar, and more."

Do engineers at Edwards experience a lot of autonomy in their projects?
"I act more as a facilitator and not necessarily as a supervisor. I don't direct people to do this or that at a particular time. My people set their own schedules, and they prioritize the projects they are working on to get everything done at the appropriate times."

What are the career options for engineers if they wish to move to another area?
"If someone comes into a particular area, say a Radar section, and works for three or four years; and they become interested in working avionics. It is very possible for someone to move into another area, if there are open positions on base."

Why did you choose Edwards?
"Since I was a little kid, I was always fascinated with airplanes. When I was graduating, I was at one of the career fairs in school where there was a representative from Edwards. They showed me a picture of an airplane and I was hooked. I see Edwards as a place offering good career opportunities, and I get to work with airplanes! If you like airplanes and you like cutting-edge technology, this is the place to be. Every time you look up at the sky, you will see something different - something that you will never see anywhere else in the world - until maybe five or ten years down the road. I have been involved with projects that are extremely advanced."

What are some of the aviation firsts you've experienced here?
"In my 13 years here, I've seen a lot of firsts. I saw the first C-17 fly. I saw the operational B-2 fly. Saw the first unmanned aerial vehicle. Got to see the first X-31 doing all its fancy maneuvers. Got to see the first JSF doing its hovering maneuvers. History-making around here is commonplace."