SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Electrical Engineer experienced with switching and control electronics design and construction, systems integration, pulsed laser and solid state ultrasonic measurements, thin materials ultrasonic characterization (planar and thickness direction).

SKILLS

Software skills: LabView programming environment for controls and interface design and analysis applications (expert), C and C++ software, Python object oriented programming language, Microsoft Office, Blender animation and rendering software, Gimp 2.6 Image Manipulation Software, LT Spice IV electronic design and simulation software, Pro/Engineer mechanical design software (specializing in mechanisms).

Writing and presentation skills: Authored and co-authored several research papers for various trade and professional journals on technologies and research developed on behalf of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. Authored and co-authored six awarded patent applications on their behalf. Presented several research presentations in person to various professional paper and forest products industry organizations on their behalf. Successfully competed (via written proposal) for funding from the Department of Energy and Georgia’s TIP3 forest products consortium and later presented the completed research for several rounds of funding on their behalf.

EXPERIENCE

Independent Inventor (2005-2009)

 Designed (and built one and partially built two) small motorized mechanical devices for toy and adult curiosity markets (patents pending). One device involved custom brass machining, nine gears, and a custom dress design. Another was designed with a combination of plastic parts for stereolithographic rapid prototyping, an ultrasonic ranging module, RGB lighting chips, a custom made variable speed pendulum, based on a PIC microcontroller. Another included an automated machining of maple wood (Pro/Engineer design file to computer numerical controlled – CNC), brass fittings and a high voltage igniter circuit.

 Designed parametric spur gears for rapid prototyping applications

 Designing and building a pneumatically actuated quadruped robot

Independent Animator and Graphic Illustrator (2007-2009)

 Two years of experience/practice developing specialty video titles, virtual scenes, rigged characters and digital/virtual vehicle modeling. (No formal education. Enthusiastic hobbyist.)

Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Faculty (2003-2005)

 Designed and built a scanning, integrated high resolution alpha/beta particle mass characterization, acoustic wave characterization and specimen thickness characterization system for integrated stiffness measurements for tree core and paper profiling applications.

 Designed and built a rapidly installable tap to the ABB SmartPlatform for interfacing that system with Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory’s custom laser ultrasonic module. Installed vortex cooling, temperature profiling and air gliding pressure plate apparati to the module and wrote software analysis and controls support for them.

 Provided controls and analysis software and electronics support for the a large DOE funded project

 Built custom pc controllable software and electronics additions to the SmartPlatform for scanning and control.

 Implemented PID humidity and temperature controls and precision micron scale strain measurements to in-house cyclic stress/strain research chambers. Invented a novel, inexpensive and disposable specimen holders for that system using the Alumilite castable polymer that was chosen to replace bulky steel holders.

 Developed a still camera based inspection system for fluted board crush tests under load. The design allowed for the rapid inspection of several hours of crush testing in moments. Introduced hall effect sensor approaches to strain measurement.

 Developed electronics, software interfacing and implemented analysis algorithms for an in-house torsion pendulum based twist warp tester.

 Managed three laboratories, including two containing sealed radiation sources. Served as IPST’s radiation safety officer.

 Assisted in the research investigation of surface acoustic waves in thin plates

 Managed IPST’s LabView software site license.

Georgia Institute of Technology

Associate Engineer (1997-2003)

 Designed a rotating trigger plate to control a high energy pulsed laser impulses

 Developed a software implementation and imaging interface for the 1LM21 LaserTec confocal microscope to embody the ISO 4287 surface profiling and the Integrated Manufacturing Technology Institute’s Mapping Surface Parameters developed by Canada’s National Research Council.

Institute of Paper Science and Technology

Assistant Engineer (1992-1997)

 Designed and built an ADEPT robotic based system for automating multi-specimen in-plane ultrasonic characterizations of time-of-flight via cross-correlation. The system was versatile enough to accommodate custom and experimental testing requirements for customers.

 Designed and built a program for exploring the two dimensional fast fourier transform particularly in regards to fibrous and textile networks. Successfully applied its successive eliptical filtration capability for the rapid calculation of fiber orientation distribution plots and helped demonstrate how those are insensitive to dried in stresses as indicated by ultrasonic methods. Used it to demonstrate how distinct and separable wave modes of the forming wire encode themselves upon the sheet.

Institute of Paper Science and Technology

Assistant Technical Specialist – Programmer (1989-1992)

 Contributed electronic and automated measurements support for a major DOE funded project that brought ABB Industrial Systems, Georgia-Pacific Corp. and The Institute of Paper Science & Technology into cooperation. The project set out to measure sonic transit times and velocities and reflected and absorbed energies through the thickness direction of a paper web during manufacture (at manufacturing velocities of 20-30 mph), do so for a variety of paper grades, do so repeatedly, and do so with high precision and throughput, while utilizing digital signal processor hardware. The project wound up being moderately successful and we were able to relate calculated sonic velocities to refining/freeness, wet pressing and calendering variables for a variety of paper grades, we were awarded three patents for our efforts. Found an unexpected correlation between directly and laboriously measured cross direction ring crush and a calculated ring crush employing in and out-of-plane velocities. Were able to a dramatic agreement between IPST’s and ABB’s respective planar shear and longitudinal velocity measurements.

 Managed computer purchasing and inventory, software purchasing and installation

Artware Associates – Programmer (1989)

* Designed software in the C programming language and in assembler and machine code in support of small business applications

Complete List Of Journal Articles and Proceedings

X. Zhang, T. Jackson, E. Lafond, P. Deymier, J. Vasseur, “Evidence of surface acoustic wave band gaps in the phononic crystals created on thin plates ”, Applied Physics Letters, 88(1), 2006

E. Lafond, T. Jackson, P. Ridgway, G. Baum , X. Zhang, R. Russo, “Laser ultrasonics at twenty meters per second in the production environment and on a budget: from dream to reality”, 2005 I.E.E.E. Ultrasonics Symposium, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, September 2005

T. Jackson, X. Zhang, E. Lafond, “An automated instrument for the measurement of mechanical properties of thin materials”, 2005 I.E.E.E. Ultrasonics Symposium, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, September 2005

P. Ridgway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, T. Jackson, G. Baum, X. Zhang, “Laser ultrasonic measurement of elastic properties of moving paper: mill demonstration”, Review of Progress in Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation, Brunswick, ME, August 2005, 2006

E. Lafond, P. Ridgway, T. Jackson, G.Baum, R. Russo, “A non-contact, on-machine, laser ultrasonic sensor for measuring paper and paperboard bending stiffness and shear rigidities”, Practical Papermaking conference 2005 TAPPI, Milwaukee, WI, May 2005

X. Zhang, T. Jackson, E. Lafond, “Noncontact determination of elastic moduli by two-dimensional Fourier transformation and laser-ultrasonic technique”, Review of Scientific Instruments, 96, 026113, January 2005

P. Ridgway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, T. Jackson, X. Zhang, “A sensor for laser ultrasonic measurement of elastic properties during manufacture”, 16th World Conference on NonDestructive Testing Proceedings, Montreal, Canada, September 2004

P. Ridgway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, C. Habeger, T. Jackson, X. Zhang, “A sensor for non-contact monitoring of paper elastic properties during manufacture”, Papersummit 2004 and Tappi Spring Technical Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, May 2004

E. Lafond, T. Jackson, P. Ridgway, C. Habeger, R. Russo, X. Zhang, “A fully fiberized laser-ultrasonic instrument for measuring the stiffness properties of paper”, World Congress on Ultrasonics 2003 Proceedings, Paris, France, September 2003, pp. 1431-1434, 2004

P. Ridgway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, C. Habeger, T. Jackson, “Laser ultrasonic system for on-line measurement of elastic properties of paper”, World Congress on Ultrasonics 2003 Proceedings, Paris, France, September 2003, pp. 1427-1430, 2004

P. Ridgway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, C. Habeger, T. Jackson, “Laser Ultrasonic System for On-Line Measurement of Elastic properties of Paper”, Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 29(9), pp. 289-293, September 2003

P. Ridgeway, R. Russo, E. Lafond, C. Habeger, T. Jackson, “Laser Ultrasonic System for On-line Measurement of Elastic Properties of Paper”, TAPPI Fall Technical Conference, October 26-30, 2003

E. Lafond, P. Ridgway, T. Jackson, C. Habeger, R. Russo, “A laboratory laser-ultrasonic instrument for measuring the mechanical properties of paper webs”, Review of Progress in Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation, Bellingham, WA, July 2002, 22(B), pp. 1665-1672, 2003

E. Lafond, C. Habeger, T. Jackson, “Caracterisation mecanique sans contact de produits papetiers par generation laser et interferometer photorefractif” (in French), Instrumentation Mesure Metrologie, 1(1-2), pp. 143-153, October 2001

T. Jackson and D. R. Rothbard, “Exploring Frequency Space: Applying the 2D FFT”

1999 TAPPI Engineering/Process & Product Quality Conference, July 1999

T. Jackson and M. Hall, “New On-Line Out-of-Plane Ultrasonic Elastic Stiffness Measurement Technology”, 1997 TAPPI Process and Product Quality Conference and Trade Fair, July 1997

T. Jackson, M. Hall, “Small-Scale Variations in CD Strips Observed Using Ultrasonic Velocity Measurements”, International CD Symposium, Tampere, Finland, February 1997

T. Jackson, M. Hall, "On-machine Sensors to Measure Paper Mechanical Properties", DOE/Industry Advanced Sensors Technical Conference, Cincinnati, OH, Nov. 1991

P.H. Brodeur, M.S. Hall, K.W. Lorenz, T.G. Jackson , “Thickness Direction Measurements in Paper Materials Using Ultrasonic Sensors Immersed in Water-Filled Wheels”, Proc. Ultrasonic Inter. Conf. 1991

References available upon request

Awarded Patents:

Method and System of Measuring Ultrasonic Signals in the Plane of a Moving Web

Inventors: M. S. Hall, T. G. Jackson, W. A. Wink, C. Knerr

Awarded: Feb. 27, 1996 Patent #: 5,493,910

System for Measuring the Ultrasonic Velocity in the Thickness Direction of Moving Webs Without Errors Due to Delays in the Onset of Digitization

Inventors: M. S. Hall, P. H. Brodeur, T. G. Jackson

Awarded: Feb. 27, 1996 Patent #: 5,493,911

In-Plane Ultrasonic Velocity Measurement

Inventors: M. S. Hall, T. G. Jackson, C. Knerr

Awarded: June 11, 1996 Patent #: 5,525,854

In-Plane Ultrasonic Velocity Measurement of Longitudinal and Shear Waves in the Machine Direction with Transducers in Rotating Wheels

Inventors: M. S. Hall, T. G. Jackson, C. Knerr

Awarded: Feb. 17, 1998 Patent #: 5,719,337

Out-of-Plane Ultrasonic Velocity Measurement

Inventors: M. S. Hall, P. H. Brodeur, T. G. Jackson

Awarded: July 14, 1998 Patent #: 5,780,744

Method and Apparatus for Ultrasonic Characterization Through the Thickness Direction of a Moving Web

Inventors: T. G. Jackson, M. S. Hall, E. Brown

Awarded: Oct. 30, 2001 Patent #: 6,308,570

Awards

R&D Magazine's 2006 R&D 100 Award.

Tappi 2003 Outstanding Research Paper Award.

Co-awarded Johannes Van den Akker Prize for Advances in Paper Physics.

Co-awarded IPST - 1999 President’s Award.

First Quarter 1994 - Employee of the Quarter Award.

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