EDUCATION
BS, Aeronautical Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1985.
MS, Engineering/Structural Mechanics, University of California, Davis, 1989.
PhD, Engineering/Structural Mechanics, University of California, Davis, 1995.
Jeff teaches courses primarily related to mechanical engineering structures and computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE/FEA) – Statics, Dynamics, Materials Science, Machine Design, Structural Mechanics, and Introduction to CAD.
EXPERIENCE
While relatively new to higher education – Jeff began teaching at °¼Í¹ÊÓƵin 2017 – he has been a practicing engineering since 1985. From 1985 through 2006 he served as a project engineer and structural analyst for Aerojet, a rocket propulsion company then located in Sacramento, California. For the last seven years in that role, Jeff served as the lead structural engineer and analyst during the design, test, and early deployment of Aerojet’s solid rocket motor (SRM) for United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V launch vehicle. A particularly exciting Atlas V mission during his watch was the launch of the NASA New Horizons spacecraft, which left Earth in 2006 and flew past Pluto in 2015. From 2007 through 2016, Jeff was president of Gladstone Engineering, Inc. and was a solo provider of engineering consulting, structural analysis, and expert witness services to a wide variety of companies and industries, including Intel Corporation, Virgin Galactic, Scaled Composites, and Louisville Slugger. Jeff is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California.
Jeff’s interests in education and engineering extend beyond U.S. borders. Joining with Dordt’s long-established relationship with Northrise University in Ndola, Zambia, Jeff is serving in a lead role in developing an engineering program at Northrise. As currently planned, engineering instruction will begin there in the 2022-23 timeframe.
OTHER INTERESTS
Outside of engineering, Jeff is grateful to the Lord for opportunities to enjoy making music (guitar and vocals) and to partake of a variety of outdoor activities: sailing, snow skiing, and backpacking. While he and his wife, Andrea, have begun to suspect they were always Midwesterners at heart, he does admit that his favorite outdoor activities were a little easier to do in California.