Today, Kevin and I meet with Joshua Jones of Jacobs Technology. Mr. Jones has a masters degree in mechanical engineering from University of North Florida and is currently working on his masters in mechanical engineering at UF. In addition to his work for Jacobs, Josh donates his time as the VP of the Missile Space and Range Pioneers, a group of retired and current aerospace enthusiasts., Josh also enjoys gaming, traveling, and building PCs. He will share with us how he came to be interested in engineering as well as share advice for our student listeners in an area of engineering for which they may not be familiar.

And, before we begin, please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast if you have not yet done and please share and review. Doing these simple steps will insure our podcast audience grows organically.

And as always stay tuned for our takeaways after the show.

AIA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Go2Space

Missile, Space, and Range Pioneers Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpacePioneers/

Today we meet with Dr. Tess Caswell. Dr. Caswell  is an Extra Vehicular Activity or E. V. A Operations Engineer at NASA. Her work helps to  plan spacewalks and prepares astronauts to conduct them. Dr. Caswell holds a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a PhD in Planetary Geology from Brown University. She has previously worked as an Environmental Systems officer in mission control for the International Space Station, lived for a month in a simulated space station as part of NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog, and served as Lead Capsule Controller at the private aerospace company Blue Origin. She is a private pilot and in her free time enjoys flying small airplanes, exercising, or reading a good book.

And before we begin, please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast if you have not yet done and please share and review. Doing these simple steps will insure our podcast audience grows organically.

Dr. Andreas P. (Andy) Bernhard is the Director of Aircraft Design at Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin Corporation Company. In this capacity he is responsible for all technical aspects related to the design of blades, rotors, transmissions, airframes, propulsion systems, landing gear, and miscellaneous subsystems This includes developing and implementing next generation strategies & technologies and creating and maintaining effective processes and standard work.

Prior to this assignment, Dr. Bernhard was the Chief Engineer for the CH-53K KING STALLION providing overall strategic leadership for all technical activities of the program, including design development, integration and test, as well as product improvement roadmaps.  Dr. Bernhard was also the Chief Engineer for the S-97™ RAIDER, responsible for all technical aspects spanning design, development, assembly and testing through first flight. From 2008-2013 he was the Chief Engineer for Sikorsky Aerospace Services, responsible for all aspects of Aftermarket Engineering from 2008 to 2013.

Dr. Bernhard graduated from University Johannesburg South Africa) with A Bachelors in . Aeronautical Engineering in 1992 and from the University of Maryland with a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in 2000. His research was on smart rotor technology including hover testing of blades with active tips, active twist and trailing edge flaps. He holds 5 patents, has authored 12 peer reviewed Journal Articles and over 20 Conference papers. He has also won numerous awards including most recently Vertical Flight Society Technical Fellow (2021) and University of Maryland, Aerospace Department Distinguished Alumni (2020),

Outside of work, Andy is an avid private pilot, is a now recreational (and former competitive) cyclist, and has just recently revisited playing water polo. 

Dr. Liz Knowles began her career as an elementary school teacher in Connecticut but spent most of her career (29 years) at Pine Crest School in South Florida. She earned a master’s in reading and a doctorate in Curriculum Development and Systemic Change both from Nova Southeastern University. Early in her career, she was Director of Professional Development and Curriculum where she assisted more than 300 faculty members with curriculum mapping, launched a teaching certification program, offered in-service classes, and oversaw several school accreditation processes.

Beginning in 1997, she completed the first of her 14 books, The Reading Connection: Bringing Parents, Teachers, and Librarians Together. This text, like her subsequent publications, serves parents, librarians, and educational professionals by offering tips and titles aimed at promoting children’s literacy.

After leaving Pine Crest she served as Director of Content (K-12) for Kaplan Virtual Education and then as Head of Studies, Director of Professional Development, and Diploma Program Coordinator at Boca Prep International School an International Baccalaureate School in Boca Raton. She also spent several years writing curriculum and applications for charter schools in Palm Beach County. 

Today, through Cognitive Advantage, LLC and www.cognitive-fitness.com. Dr. Knowles teaches classes, small groups, and private lessons.

Today, Kevin interviews Shawna Christenson about how she got involved with the Aerospace and Innovation Academy considering her background in English and Debate. Shawna holds a BS in secondary English education and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been teaching well over 20 years in both the public and private sector and was chosen as the National Speech and Debate Association's Middle School Coach of the Year in 2020. She believes in our BLUE-SKY philosophy by taking communications beyond the classroom and into the real world through legislative advocacy and technical writing with her students. She is the "talkie" side of the "techies and talkies" and believes helping students participate and find success in unique, distinctive opportunities early on not only helps students imagines future possibilities but also helps separate them from their peers on high school and college applications. In addition to her work with the AIA, she began Aerospace Public Policy Institute in 2018 and is an officer for both the Missile, Space, and Range Pioneers as well as the Palm Beach section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.  

Today Kevin and I meet with the inspiring Carolyn Kost. I had the opportunity to be hired by Carolyn in 2012and she has been a constant source of insight with regards to curriculum and the college process ever since. For well over twenty years, Carolyn has helped families find the right academic, social and financial fit for their college bound students. Carolyn is an admissions reader for a prominent university and frequent presenter at national conferences. She was mentioned in The New York Times and reads college news all day every day. She has taught in five universities and attended ten, so her experiences offer not only perspectives for parents but also as a student. Her clients have gone on to all the Ivy and Ivy Plus universities like CalTech, Stanford, U Chicago, and MIT, all the Florida publics --which she believes are great viable options—as well as universities in Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, and all over Europe, which are far less expensive and often teach in English.

In addition to publishing well as over 100 articles for a variety of publications, she has co-authored On To College, a guide to college admissions, and What Are You Waiting For? A Workbook for Living Your Purpose, Path, and Passion. Her book Engage! Setting the Course for Independent Secondary Schools in the 21st Century, has been used as a textbook at Johns Hopkins Graduate School of education. Additionalyl, Carolyn is bilingual and has lived in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Trinidad She now lives in North Palm Beach with her husband, Frank.

Check out the links mentioned in the podcast here:

Reach out to Carolyn at [email protected]

Input "Common Data Set" and the name of a specific university and scroll to section C7  to see what that university values in its admissions process. Do not assume they all prioritize the same elements. That is not the case.

UF Student Outcomes:  https://career.ufl.edu/gain-experience/student-outcomes/

"The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/college-labor-market_compare-majors.html

Data tool for salaries, underemployment, unemployment by major. Updated often.

"Dream Jobs? Teenagers' Career Aspirations and the Future of Work." OECD. 2020. Report and videos. Dream Jobs? Teenagers' Career Aspirations and the Future of Work - OECD

Dream Jobs? Teenagers' Career Aspirations and the Future of Work - OECD

Data and research on education including skills, literacy, research, elementary schools, childhood learning, voc...

As the Founder of The Harvey Academy, Nancy Harvey embraces the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for learning with her students and teachers every day.  Nancy has over 25 years of teaching experience and holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Villanova University, and a Florida Teaching Certificate. Her focus on a concierge education means she is determined to meet each student where they are at educationally and emotionally and helps them to overcome their learning difficulties. Because she believes so strongly in providing opportunities for each child, she brought Kevin and I on board. We look forward to building the AIA as a school track option within The Harvey Academy in the next few years.

As always, stay tuned after the interview to hear about current AIA offerings for your middle and high school STEM loving student.

Check out The Harvey Academy here:  https://www.theharveyacademy.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheHarveyAcademy

Check out The Aerospace and Innovation Academy here: https://www.aerospacehigh.org/ and our facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Go2Space

In this special edition, Kevin and Shawna recap some of the ways the Aerospace and Innovation Academy pivoted post-Covid to continue to provide unique STEM opportunities for students and teachers. For more information about what the Academy offers including after school programs and science fair consultation,  please visit the website at www.aerospacehigh.org or the FaceBook page @Go2Space. You can also reach out to us via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Today Kevin and I continue our focus on the AIAA with engineer and treasurer of the Palm Beach section Bruce Trembly. Bruce is a Systems & Software Engineering Section Leader with 35 years’ experience in jet & rocket engine development, test, analysis & validation with specialties in vehicle systems performance and engine test & analyses. His Experience includes thirteen years with Pratt & Whitney Large Military Engines, two years as Director of IRSC Technology Development & Training Center / Business Incubator and twenty years with Belcan Engineering Solutions including 15 years in positions of engineering management. Mr. Trembly has a B.S. Aerospace Engineering  from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University which includes two years of cooperative education as student engineer). Mr. Trembly also boasts a M.E. Mechanical Engineering  from Florida Atlantic University.

In addition to his impressive educational background, Mr. Trembly’s entire professional career has included membership with AIAA with the vast majority of that time (30 years) serving on the Palm Beach Section Council. But his outreach doesn’t stop there. Bruce is a mentor for FIRST Robotics working with a  high school team as well as a referee for Orlando & South Florida Regional robotics tournaments.

Bruce is very actively engaged in his church, enjoys traveling and keeping physically active with a passion for SCUBA diving, and spending time with his wife and young adult children.

As always, stay tuned after the interview for our takeaways.

AIAA website:  https://www.aiaa.org/

Aerospace and Innovation Academy website for after school club offerings:  https://www.aerospacehigh.org/

Today we meet with Since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1977, Randy worked for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in West Palm Beach, Florida. His career began as a propulsion engineer gaining experience in a wide range of systems including gas turbine, liquid rocket, nuclear and hypersonic propulsion. During this time, Randy acquired two graduate degrees from University of Miami and gradually moved toward the business and program development side of the business.

This broad experience provided Randy with a deep understanding of the difficult technical, business and marketing balance needed to bring an idea from concept to reality. It has also allowed him to establish a diverse network of domestic and international contacts and friends.

Since retiring four years ago, Randy has continued to stay connected with aerospace issues by serving as the chairman of the Palm Beach Section of AIAA. Both Kevin and I are honored to be officers in AIAA under Randy’s leadership. For ways you can get involved in the AIAA and for our takeaways, stay tuned after the interview.

Randy Parsley: TedX:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAHbaEhOzr4

AIAA home page:  https://www.aiaa.org/

Aerospace and Innovation Academy website:  https://www.aerospacehigh.org/