UC Project STEP :: Participants > Graduate Fellows

Biography
As an undergraduate, I majored in the area of civil / structural engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, with an emphasis in structural / foundation engineering. After graduating from UMR, I spent time working for an open-webbed steel joists fabricator, where I was involved with structural roof design projects, including some work on the Edward R. Jones dome in St. Louis, MO. I later returned to school to work on my M.S. in Civil / Structural Engineering at the University of Oklahoma where I conducted a research program that investigated the shear behavior of high-strength precast concrete bridge girders. At the same time, I worked part-time for a precast concrete fabricator in Oklahoma City conducting basic design and quality assurance work. After graduation, I spent several years working in the mining industry as a project manager and structural engineer.

In 2002, I returned to school to work on my PhD in Civil Structural engineering at the University of Cincinnati. While conducting my research at UC in the area of mathematical modeling of structures, I have spent time as a teaching assistant for many undergraduate and graduate courses within the College of Engineering. I have also been the primary instructor for an undergraduate Basic Strengths of Materials class. I am currently participating in the Preparing Future Faculty program at the University of Cincinnati with aspirations of becoming a college professor in structural engineering upon graduation. I thoroughly enjoy the day-to-day interaction with students and look forward to making it a permanent part of my career.
When I am not busy with school, I enjoy obedience training with my bulldog. I also enjoy my marine aquariums, and as time permits, I hope to resume my studies in the martial arts in the near future.