Work Experience

Consultant - Chalker & Co LLC, 2017-Current

Consult on diverse projects integrating education, fabrication and bridging the physical/digital divide. Recent clients include the Fab Foundation, Stanford University, Ward's Science, and 3D Systems.

Fab Lab Specialist and Liaison - California State University Bakersfield, 12/2014 – 6/2016

Manage a brand new digital fabrication workshop on the California State University, Bakersfield campus. Develop programming for the space while managing administrative tasks and being the public face of the workshop. Establish and maintain new partnerships with local K12 school administrators and faculty, post-secondary partners (community college and University level), non-profit organizations (e.g., Girl Scouts), and funders. Seek and support group efforts for new funding sources (total external funding received in the first year totaled ~$250,000.) Maintain equipment and materials inventory for programming. Supervise lab staff. Ensure safe lab operations at all times. Lead educational programming for various audiences, from middle school summer camps to adult learners.

Fab Lab Program Coordinator - Museum of Science and Industry, 1/2012 – 11/2014

Develop new guest workshops within the museum’s digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping workshop. Organize long-term engagements through science clubs hosted at Chicago-area schools and within the museum. Develop new workflows and processes for medium volume, extremely fast turnaround time deliverables. Experiment with processes, techniques, software and machines to demonstrate and explore their capabilities for future use. Rapidly learn new CAD and CAM software packages to understand capabilities and train others in their operation. Contribute to various special projects in collaboration with internal and external partners related to making, computer science and informal education.

STEM Specialist - Citizen Schools, 10/2011 – 9/2013

Part-time consultant developing STEM curriculum following Project Based Instruction best practices and aligned to Core Curriculum and Next Generation Science Standards. Topics focused on various design and design thinking principles and challenges.

Teaching Assistant - University of Texas, EDC365E, Project Based Instruction, UTeach, 8/2009 – 5/2011

Primary duties include developing, coordinating and facilitating field trips and lesson plans for apprentice teachers to lead 6-12 grade Austin Independent School District (AISD) students at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas. Lessons focused on the diverse relationships between mathematics, science and art.

Research Assistant - Ohio State University Materials Science Engineering Department, 6/2008-3/2009

Ceramic materials engineering project funded by DARPA grant. Developed a novel high-strength, high-temperature ceramic for national defense applications. Extensive lab experience, including both traditional lab work and materials science specific work such as optical characterization, heat treatment, destructive and non-destructive evaluation. Assisted purchasing, installing and stocking specialized equipment and supplies under a budget.

Student Assistant/Server Room Technician - Ohio Supercomputer Center, 9/2004-6/2008

Member of the high performance computing systems support group. Undergraduate systems administrator of the clusters, extensive experience with high performance computers. Experience with a variety of operating systems and software packages, including Windows, OS X, and various Linux distributions. 

Research Assistant – International Association for the Exchange of Students in Technical Experiences - Politecnico di Milano, Lecco, Italy, 6/2006-8/2006

Assist on a ferrous metallurgical engineering project for agricultural applications. Tasks included tribology preparation and characterization, furnace operation and heat treatment as well as long-term fatigue analysis. 

NSF Research Experience Undergraduate (REU) – Drexel University, 6/2004-8/2004

Assist on a polymer/ceramic engineering project. Tasks included sample preparation using high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray equipment, optical and electron-microscope characterization and mechanical characterization.

Science Olympiad

National, State and Regional Event Supervisor, Wright Stuff, Balloon Launch Glider, Helicopter, 2004-Current
National Technology Committee Member, 2004-Current

Run competitive events at the local, state and national level for dozens to thousands of students. Supervise staff at competitions. Teach event concepts at various coaches’ clinics around the country. Coach nationally successful high and middle school teams in Austin, TX and Dayton, OH, with a particular emphasis on engineering design. Develop national science standards aligned rules for competitive events annually. Write standards aligned lesson plans for a partnership with the Fox TV show Fringe. Develop mobile rules app available on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Act as primary liaison between official kit vendors and content experts to ensure accurate content, efficient production and increase overall sales. Act as point of first contact for members of the public inquiring about detailed and technical questions related to the rules. Either answer questions directly or forward on to content experts where appropriate.