Academic and Research Experience

Space Studies Research Assistant, Grand Forks, ND, September 2006 - Present
Create drawings and designs for CEV simulator. Carry out hands on tasks in order to build CEV simulators. Improve and maintain existing NDX-1 space suit. Designed and constructed liquid colling garment for NDX-1 space suit.

Work Experience

Farm Laborer, Gatzke, MN, May 1998 - Present
Develop and expand work ethic. Organize and coordinate harvest, planting, and haying functions. Improve mechanical skills such as electric wiring, welding, and acetylene torching. Strengthen driving skills of vehicles, heavy equipment, and farm equipment.

High School Basketball Official, Grand Forks, ND, December 2005 - Now
Establish credibility and respect in a new working environment. Gain confidence and decisiveness during intense competition.

CF6/CFM Power Plant cooperative Engineer, Minneapolis, MN, May 2006/7 - August 2006/7
Worked and learned alongside professional power plant engineers. Maintained and analyzed fuel leak and engine over temp data. Directed maintenance and troubleshooting operations.

Memberships and Activities

University of North Dakota Student Government
Phi Delta Theta President
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Tau Beta Pi
UND Recreational Sports, Intramural Sports

Honors and Awards

UND Presidential Scholarship
Polaris Industries Scholarship
Tau Beta Pi National Scholarship
North Dakota Space Grant Consortium

Hobbies and Interests

Basketball, Weightlifting, Flag Football, Tennis, Running, Hiking, Reading, and Flying

Personal Statement

I was born and raised on a dairy farm in northwestern Minnesota and attended a very small high school, graduating in 2004 with 13 other students. I then studied at the University of North Dakota (UND) and graduated in May of 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with an Aerospace Concentration. In the fall I will move to a slightly larger city, Los Angeles, and began working towards a Master of Science and PhD in Astronautics and Space Technology at the University of Southern California (USC).

Some of the interesting work that I have done so far includes research at UND and two summer internships with Northwest Airlines. At UND I worked in the Space Studies department for two years, developing a Liquid Cooling Garment for a Martian Planetary Space Suit (NDX-1), helping to construct an Orion CEV simulator and helping to construct and design a Space Ship One simulator. At Northwest Airlines I worked as a Powerplant Engineer, specifically with CFM56 and CF6 gas turbines. Also, my senior design project involved the design and fabrication of a compressible fluid flow wind tunnel.

In my spare time I like to stay active. I enjoy intramural sports, especially basketball and flag football, because they allow me to release some of my competitiveness constructively. I also enjoy running, weightlifting, tennis, hiking and am willing to try almost anything active. Reading, especially historical fiction, is also something that I enjoy.

I have three brothers and one sister, all of whom are currently working or in school in North Dakota and Minnesota. I do not have any particular career goals, but I do intend to enjoy this summer at Marshall and my life as much as possible.