What's your day job?

[Peter Matteson]

Current Job title:
Senior Project Engineer Pratt & Whitney, Mechanical Systems and Externals, Next Generation Product Family

This means I run a team of designers and structural engineers that designs the parts on the outside of our next generation aircraft engines. Currently I work on the engine for the Bombardier C-Series that will be making its first flight late this year or early next year.

Prior to that I designed, tested and installed Geothermal powerplants for UTC Power and Pratt & Whitney Power Systems, same product 2 different divisions of the corporation.

Prior to that I designed fuel cells for automotive, mass transit and commercial applications at International Fuel Cells/UTC Fuel Cells/UTC Power.

[Mr MOE]

I have worked for DuPont for 23 years (showing my age, now).

I have a BS and BS in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State.

For the first eight years at DuPont, I was part of our Early Career Engineer rotational development program, where I had an opportunity to try out a number of different engineering assignments. I was in product development for composite materials for satellites and aircraft, then worked as a structural analysis consultant. My last assignment was a recruiter for the rotational development program. I really enjoyed the assignment and it catapulted me into a human resources career at DuPont.

My current role is University Relations & College Recruiting Manager for our US Talent Acquisition group at DuPont. In my job, I coordinate college recruiting activities in the US and Puerto Rico. The recruiting involves student employees (co-ops and interns) and early career graduates, BS, MS, and PhD. Most of the engineers we hire are chemical, mechanical, and electrical.

If you are interested in more information, drop me a line or connect with me on LinkedIn.

It's been a great career and, on top of it all, I've been involved with FIRST for 13 years!

[Gary Dillard]

"Why yes, actually I AM a rocket scientist" I work for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; currently I'm modeling hardware for the Space Launch System (SLS). I'm actually using my Master's thesis code to perform weight optimization of propellant tanks and fairings and generate parametric CAD models of the hardware for trade studies.

But for most of my career, the answer would have been "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you". I can neither confirm nor deny that I've worked on alot of pretty cool stuff. I've worked for the Jet Engine side of Pratt & Whitney, the Undersea side of Lockheed Martin, the Space & Rocket side of Boeing, and a Nuclear Plant at TVA, always doing structural / mechanical design and analysis.

[Koko Ed]

Materials Handler.
A fancy way to say fork truck driver. If you ever been to Home Depot or Lowes and seen an employee driving around one of those stand up fork truck (narrow aisle fork trucks) those are the ones I drive. But they don't close up any aisles when I drive around. I'm just required to look out for civilians while I drive around delivering parts.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Officially I am a Broadcast Engineer for the most watched Public Television Station and arguably the best Classical FM radio station in the country. (We at least have the largest music collection) I am one of five people who design, install and maintain our broadcast plant. My primary responsibility is audio and as such I watch over the TV and FM On Air audio performance, multitrack recording studios, and just about anything from microphones in the studio to the transmitters on Sears Tower. Our largest audio desk is a 128 input, 96 track automated console with both digital and analog outputs totaling nearly 200 and up to 7 channel (film style) surround mix-down. I have just completed installation and design of a fully digital news audio control system also in 5.1 surround. Currently I am working on a refit for the radio station of 5 studios and network operations with all new digital consoles using audio over IP. This station has produced some of the best music for television programming over the years. This includes the Soundstage series (which I have been part of since the very beginning), Jazz programs with Ramsey Lewis, Chicago Symphony and Opera companies, Ravinia Music Festival, and all kinds of one time only music shows. I began TV work at my high school so that makes this my 47th year in broadcasting.

[E. Wood]

I am a Flight Test Engineer for the Navy. My job includes planning, conducting, and reporting on flight test projects for Naval Aircraft. I can draw a direct link between my participation in FIRST as a student to my college internship to my current position with the DOD. Without FIRST on my resume I would not have gotten my internship which provided me with the experience necessary to get hired into my current job.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by Gary Dillard

But for most of my career, the answer would have been "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you".

That's the answer we get from some of our Honeywell mentors. Either that, or we get the response of "We work on the non-nuclear components of nuclear missiles."

As for me, I'm just a junior in High School. I'd like to get into some internships that are engineering related (Electrical or mechanical) just to get some outside-of-FIRST experience. I just have absolutely no idea where to look...any advice would be appreciated (PM me preferably)

[Wayne C.]

I teach, primarily AP Biology, and have done so for half of my life. My job is to prepare future doctors for the rigors of college by challenging them in high school.
In my non-teaching time I do the same for future engineers by putting them through FRC. Occasionally I get students where the disciplines overlap and really great things happen.

On top of that my wife and I have raised 4 children of which three have followed the engineering path through FRC. Family is a full time job in itself.

My day job is a never ending facet of my life and my quest for happiness,knowledge and inner peace proceeds unabated.

[pfreivald]

The various things I do for moolah:

High School Teacher: Physics, Robotics, American Sign Language
College Adjunct Instructor: American Sign Language
Writer (sold several short stories; first novel coming out this fall)
Beekeeper (doubling my number of colonies this spring... could get interesting!)