Hey Dr. Spagna, Good to hear from you! I have enclosed my resume along with this email.
I graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a double major in Mathematics and Physics and a minor in Computer Science.
My story begins before graduating from Randolph-Macon. Randolph-Macon has a close relationship with the nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division thanks to some active alumni. I was recruited for an internship after my sophomore year and spent two summers working with the SLBM division in K41 at Dahlgren Navy Base. This was the first point in my life that I was introduced to how much I don't know. The work entailed trajectory analysis studies to determine target achievability and probability of fratricide. Upon graduation, the SLBM division was unable to hire me due to a hiring freeze, and so my resume was floated around the base. I was then picked up by K61,the TOMAHAWK Advanced Concepts group, and have been here ever since.
My group performs TOMAHAWK/launch platform integration testing and I have gone underway twice for at-sea testing, once on the USS Vella Gulf, and once on the USS Florida. This testing necessitated an understanding of inertial navigation algorithms, transfer alignment of inertial platforms, and kalman
filtering. Once again, I realized how much I didn't know.
I supported developement/testing and accreditation of the TOMAHAWK hardware-in-the-loop All Up Round Simulation (THILAS), a 6DOF flight simulation.
Looking back, the courses I took that I found most beneficial are as
follows:
Intermediate Mechanics
Linear Algebra
Multivariable Calculus
Probability and Statistics
Numerical Analysis
Any and all Computer Programming courses
Suprisingly:
Speech Techniques for obvious reasons
Any Mathematical Proof Based Course - these provide great Technical Writing experience
I am currently in the middle of completing a Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from VA TECH.
At this point in my life, I am thinking very hard about what I want to do.
Since graduating, I have been married and now have a four month old son.
The educational experience I have behind me affords me opportunities in a number of fields. Three years into my first job and I'm still trying to pick one.
Mike Dempsey
Resume for Mike