I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Systems Theory, PhD in Systems Theory and Engineering.  I retired from the Air Force as a tenured Associate Professor of Aerospace and Systems Engineering at the AF Institute of Technology. While in the AF I had wide assignments that included, for example, Search and Rescue, a special duty assignment under Sec of Defense, and finally as a professor of Aerospace Engineering. I started at Sandia National Labs in 1995 and was promoted to Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. I took advantage of the unique opportunities at Sandia to work a wide variety of projects. However, the focus of my research is related to complex system modeling with an emphasis in characterizing and controlling uncertainty. These systems range from

• interplanetary space vehicles,
• terrorist networks,
• new green/alternative energy sources,
• information mining and social networks.

My work has focused on two areas: data mining and predictive analytics. The first area involves developing algorithms for finding patterns in large datasets, e.g. a two year remote assignment predicting IED events in support of JIEDDO, and more recently identifying patterns in large social, political, and biological networks. The second area involves analysis of large complex systems, e.g. launch risk of the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) for NASA/JPL and new algorithms to characterize site security. My overall research theme was focused on predictive analytics: predicting the behavior of complex systems in the presence of uncertainty.

• Information mining 
  - Identifying patterns in information and social behavior 
  - Research involves advances in data mining and text mining methods
• Discovering network structure and network dynamics
  Information analysis for discovery of insurgent network structure. Objective was to model the dynamics of the insurgent social network as a function of internal interactions and external influence.
• Advanced uncertainty analysis methods
  New methods to combine results from computer models, laboratory testing, expert opinion, and historical information from system and subsystem level analyses to maximize the credibility in assessing risk in complex system performance.
• Computer Security Analysis
  New algorithms for statistical analysis of unstructured data to identify and characterize cyber events

While at Sandia I began to develop an interest in blacksmithing and took a number of classes from some well known smiths around the U.S. and began putting together equipment for a small forge.  After my retirement from Sandia I formally opened up Iron Rain Forge in the wonderful little mining town of Creede, Colorado.