I graduated in 1983 from a small school in Bellaire, Ohio. I entered Ohio University's Bachelor of Science program in Electrical Engineering the following year. I became an Avionics Engineering Undergraduate Intern in 1985 and continued in this capacity until I graduated with my BSEE.

November of 1987 brought graduation and the job search.

I accepted a Test Equipment Engineer position at General Electric - Aircraft Engine Electronic Control Operations in Ft. Wayne, Indiana in April 1988.

In July, 1991 I returned to Ohio University and entered the Master of Science program to further my academic experience in Electrical Engineering. Working as a graduate research associate, I had the privilege of developing a new data collection system to assess the Microwave Landing System (MLS) in ongoing research as my Thesis topic.

I completed my Masters degree program in June, 1993 and moved on to work with Pentek, Inc. of Coraopolis, PA. Design and integration of an automated system of substantially reduced size that is used to trend and troubleshoot cabling in Nuclear power plants were my activities until June, 1994.

I rejoined the Avionics Engineering Center as a Research Engineer in June, 1994 and continue to apply my knowledge and skills to furthering the advancement of aviation safety through landing system research.

Initial efforts were installation and testing of a Microwave Landing System at Ohio University's airport (UNI). I prepared and executed a plan to update the MLS at UNI to a Hazeltine MLS 2600. Ohio University now has a fully functional, but non-commissioned (i.e., experimental), MLS approach to runway 25. Departure coverage is also provided. This capability was utilized in flight testing performed during the winter of 1996.

Current efforts are applied to a wide range of approach and landing systems including: MLS, ILS, GPS, LORAN-C, etc. I have also been serving as System Administrator for two Windows NT Server machines (one for Avionics and the other is the web server for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) and representing Ohio University and the FAA at meetings of the Radio Technical Commission on Aeronautics (RTCA).

During the summer of 1998 I was asked to teach a "C" programming course for the College of Engineering and Technology. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am now teaching the advanced class for a third time during the 98-99 Winter quarter.

Last Updated 11 January 2000 by Robert Thomas