Discipline
Expertise

Fire Reconstruction and Simulation Consultant with more than twenty four years of teaching, research and administrative experience in academic, government and industry with diverse experience in combustion, fire safety, aviation safety, and security and transportation safety.  His professional experience includes working at government laboratories (NIST, NRL), consulting, and academia. 

He achieved tenure and the rank of Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1994.  Led the development of the Ph.D. program at WPI in Fire Protection Engineering and developed the Fire Science Laboratory into a dynamic research laboratory.  His research and teaching expertise focused on different aspects of fire safety and more recently aviation and transportation safety.  His recent research has included Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and Finite Element Modeling (FEM), aircraft cabin safety, aircraft FEM, aviation safety oversight standards, and hybrid-electric vehicle research with emphasis on safety of fuel cell, fuel reformers, alternative fuel use and evaluation of airbag models.

Academic Background

  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, 1989, University of Maryland.
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1985, University of Maryland.
  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1983, University of Maryland.

 

Registrations

  • Professional Engineer, State of Maryland, 1996

 

Professional Experience

  • Fire Science and Aviation Safety and Security Consultant, RTI Group, LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, 2006-present
  • Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University; 2007 -
  • Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Science 2004 – 2008, Associate Research Professor of Engineering and Applied Science Sept. 1998-Oct. 2004, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, The George Washington University
  • Founder and Director (2002-2008), GW Aviation Institute (est. 1998), Member of Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence (AACE) since Sept. 2004
  • Director, Certificate Program in Aviation Safety and Security (1998 – present)
  • Faculty member and contributor to the Transportation Research Institute, FHWA/NHTSA National Crash Analysis Center (1994-present)
  • Project Director and Principal Investigator for the International Summit Program on Aviation Safety and Security (2001-2005)
  • Project Director and Faculty advisor for the GM/DOE sponsored Future Truck 2000 Program, 1999-2001
  • Faculty Advisor and Project Manager: GW student team for the 1999 NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program.
  • Associate Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1994-1998
  • Assistant Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1988-1994 (Promoted & tenured, 1994); Director, Fire Science and Combustion Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Worcester, MA 01609
  • Congressional Fellow, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives Sept. 1995-1996.
  • Subcommittees on Basic Research and on Energy and Environment Aug. 96, Competitively selected by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to serve as a Congressional Fellow. Oversight of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) and staffed the hearing on the subject and studied Electric Transportation systems.
  • Senior Research Staff Scientist, The George Washington University, 1994-1998 (during sabbatical and leave of absence from Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
  • Principal, Applied Engineering Research, Inc., Rockville, MD, 1986-1989,Rockville, MD
  • Guest Scientist, Center for Fire Research, National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD, 1985-1988
  • Consultant, Center for Instructional Development and Evaluation, University of Maryland, University College (UMUC), 1987
  • Research Assistant, Combustion Laboratory, University of Maryland, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1984-1985
  • Assistant Instructor, University of Maryland, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1983-1985

 

Professional Associations and Activities

  • Flight Safety Foundation (through the Aviation Institute), 1999-2005
  • University Representative, Transportation Research Board (2005-08)
  • Member, Transportation Research Forum, 2004 -
  • Member, The Combustion Institute, since 1984.
  • Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), since 1987
  • Member, Society of Automotive Engineers, since 1997, excl. 2002-04.
  • Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), 1989-96.
  • Member, International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS), since 1990.
  • Member, National Fire Protection Association, 1991-95.
  • Member, The Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi, 1989-94.
  • Member (Honorary), Salamander, Fire Protection Engineering Honor Society, since 1991.

Research Activities

  • Fire Dynamics: Solid-state combustion and flame spread. Fire-induced turbulent flows, Ceiling jets; experimental and numerical modeling. Characterization and optimization of advanced smoke and fire detection technology. Water-mist flame interaction.
  • Combustion: Gas turbine combustor emission control. Pulsed combustion. Low-gravity combustion; ignition and extinguishment.
  • Thermo-Fluid: Airbag deployment models, fire-induced flows flow modeling, fluid dynamics of smoke entry into a detector. Radiation heat transfer measurement and modeling.
Promotion