How long have you worked at VEGA?
I started back in 2012, so I’ve been here almost six years.
Did you work anywhere before VEGA?
Before VEGA I worked for Eastman Kodak in Dayton, Ohio for five years. Before that I worked in Cleveland at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.
NASA? Like, the NASA? What did you do for NASA?
I was an engineer working in the Ion Electric Propulsion branch. This department is in charge of the development of ion thrusters which are basically engines used in deep space application. My role as an engineer was to evaluate the success of new designs in terms of efficiency. The information collected during testing, including design details, was compiled in research papers. Those papers were published or presented in conferences.
You’re an engineering lead. What does a typical day look like?
My role is very dynamic. Every day is different. Some days we might be improving the quality of a part, other days we might be developing new solutions or evaluating a product. We do independent testing in our R&D lab, and obviously, I do a lot of designing. But since I am a lead engineer, I am also in charge of a team of people and it takes all of us to complete projects.
Do you work on a particular product family?
I mostly concentrate on our nuclear products, specifically external source holders. Here and there I will work on radar products, but my work is mostly with nuclear products.
Have you had any opportunity to work with the VEGAPULS 64?
I had an opportunity to work with it when I built demo units that were used to showcase our products at various events and trade shows.
As an engineer, what do you think of it?
It’s an awesome product. It works in all liquid applications and has a narrow beam angle perfect for challenging applications. It’s truly amazing.