Building the Future

Building the Future

Inspiration is born out of a number of things. There’s no telling what moment, series of events, or experience will set you on a path that determines the course of your life. It could be a trip to the local fire station when you’re young, then your whole life is headed on a path to becoming a firefighter; playing a video game for the first time, being immersed in the world and lost in the story, and you dream of creating these worlds for others; maybe you decided to run for student government as an undergraduate, and now your life is dedicated to politics. While this could go on for pages, the point is—whether it comes early or late—most can trace the origin of their passions and drive to a few moments in life. For Chad Thrasher, Centre ’88, a passion for understanding how things were made was always present, but it wasn’t until he witnessed the tragedy of the Challenger accident in in 1986 that this passion found an end goal. Now working for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Thrasher is one of the many accomplished engineers within our organization. Each of the nine alumni in this feature made the decision to set out on the long and difficult journey to become an engineer, knowing full well that this would mean a strenuous academic life with hours and hours of studying, a mastery of problem-solving skills and creativity, and countless other traits needed to be successful in this field. Each one had the

motivation, skills, and know-how to make it to the top of their field—creating and building the future.

With limited space and no shortage of accomplished alumni in the engineering field, finding a way to highlight all those deserving men in our organization was no easy feat. There was the option to list out all the alumni, paragraph by paragraph and give the bullet point summary of each individual’s careers, but that seemed a little cut and dry. Fitting each into an overarching story was a viable route, but had the potential to lack the respective spotlight these brothers warrant. The answer became glaringly apparent; keeping in line with our Hall of Fame feature, we are going to build out a veritable All-Star Team of Phi Kappa Tau engineers. For all those who are not basketball fans, I apologize, but our number of alumni perfectly reflects a five-man team with four players coming off the bench (and honestly, that’s where my expertise lies). Now, a quick disclaimer before revealing our team, an individual being denoted as a bench player has nothing to do with the career achievements or successes but is a necessary part of this exercise and of every team. We as an organization are equally proud of all our alumni in the engineering field, and even those not included in this piece are worthy of just as much praise. With that out of the way, lets meet our team.

BY DALTON LEE, BALDWIN WALLACE ’11

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STARTING SHOOTING GUARD:

CHRIS HEFFERNAN, GEORGIA TECH ’94

STARTING POINT GUARD:

CHAD THRASHER, CENTRE ’88

Much like many of the best point guards in the history of the NBA, Thrasher spends his days working to ensure that all systems, parts, and tools are working in sync to complete a mission. Unlike those point guards, Thrasher’s mission as the Advanced Exploration Systems, Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), Interoperability Lead for NASA is to complete crewed lunar trips. With this position being built on the fundamental need for attention to detail, meeting deadlines, team leadership, and communication skills, it was only fitting that Thrasher would be chosen to lead this team. While Thrasher may have had a passion for the nuts and bolts of how things are made, the skills that continue to make him so successful in his career with NASA were fostered and practiced throughout his time as an undergraduate member of Phi Tau. Throughout various leadership positions, Thrasher realized his proclivity for project and team management, but states that the most important lesson learned was how to ask for help.

In space travel there is no room for stagnation or inadequacies, so Thrasher has dedicated himself to being a lifelong learner and recommends that all undergraduate brothers do the same. Curiosity and a willingness to fail are paramount to a career at NASA and in the engineering field. With eyes fixed on the future, Thrasher hopes that we will someday take “routine” trips to the moon—seeing this as a way to make life better for all, and hopefully bring everyone a little closer together. Until that day comes, Thrasher continues to work at the very top of his field, while serving as the Board of Governers Chairman for the Zeta Eta chapter in Tuscaloosa and remaining a dedicated brother of Phi Tau.

Engineering isn’t solely about building Earth shaking rockets, engines, or a slew of gizmos and gadgets; there is a more personal side of engineering, focusing on the most basic of human needs. For those of who move around freely, uninhibited by medical condition, injury, or ailment, it can be easy to take this for granted. For those who cannot, there are dedicated individuals who continuously work to improve their lives. Chris Heffernan is the Chief Engineer for Stryker Joint Replacement, leading a team on new product development programs for hip and knee joint replacements, implants, and instrumentation related to joint replacement surgeries, to do just that. This foundation of mobility and movement make Heffernan that ideal shooting guard for the Engineers.

A life-long runner, Heffernan developed a passion for the orthopedics at an early age. With a natural gift for math and science and drawing inspiration from his mother’s employer, a doctor with an engineering degree, Heffernan entered college with a concrete goal in mind. Years later, his aspirations came to fruition. Throughout his time in the field of biomedical engineering, Heffernan has helped countless individuals live a better life. In 2012, a childhood friend, and former NHL player, reached out to Heffernan with questions regarding a hip replacement surgery—years of playing hockey had taken its toll on his body. After consulting with various doctors throughout New York City, the two sat down to discuss three different implants presented. Upon review of the third option, Heffernan’s friend asked if he knew anything about it. “Of course, I designed it,” was his response. As you can imagine, Heffernan was immensely proud to have designed a product that helped someone so close to him improve their quality of life.

STARTING POWER FORWARD:

BILL EMERSON, OKLAHOMA STATE ’61

When picking a power forward, there are a variety of attributes to consider. The player must be strong and aggressive, with the ability to box out, rebound, and grind out points in the paint. In short, we are looking for a player with a lot of fire power. Oklahoma State and Phi Kappa Tau Alumnus, U.S. Army Veteran, and founder of Emerson Consulting, Bill Emerson, is just the man for the job. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering, Emerson was commissioned by the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant, assigned to the tank and armored cavalry unit. This opportunity, paired with his time in Phi Tau, allowed Emerson to grow his leadership skills. As he gained further experience with heavy equipment, Emerson went on to be a product manager, working in an army research and development laboratory to develop and test new hardware for armored vehicles. In his final role with the U.S. Army, Emerson was assigned to be manager for the development of M1A1 Tanks. During his time in this position, the program designed, built, and tested 14 prototype tanks.

Following his time in the service, Emerson worked for various companies, where he developed U.S. Army smart weapons that would seek out and destroy enemy armored vehicles. He also managed the design and testing of advanced electronic subsystems for new vehicles, increasing the vehicles’ capabilities. Emerson ultimately opened his own consulting company, specializing in the support of medium- to large-scale engineering firms that had multi-million-dollar deals with the Department of Defense and NASA. Even after years of on-the-job experience, Emerson returned to further his education—earning a master’s in Automatic Controls— and recommends that undergraduate students and recent graduates consider the same.

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FEATURE

STARTING SMALL FORWARD:

JACK LY, PHD, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ’10

“Nothing is given, everything is earned, and success is never coasting.”

For Dr. Jack Ly, this quote is one of the keys to his success, and his advice to any undergraduates looking to have a long and successful career. Holding true to this quote, Ly pushed himself to continue his education following the completion of his undergraduate studies. While attending graduate school at UMass Amherst, he met his now wife, Dr. Kara Martin, and both went on to complete their doctorates in Polymer Science and Engineering in 2018. You may be asking yourself, well why put him as the power forward? For two reasons: one, I want a small forward who pushes themselves to know every aspect of the game and to be as knowledgeable as possible, and two, Ly’s primary function as a Research Scientist and Team Lead for UES, Inc is to design and conduct experiments for proof of concept and prototype new technologies for the United States Air Force. When I heard that, all I could think is a high-flying rebounder, who can defend anyone.

Knowledge and know-how are not the only aspects of Ly’s career. It takes of plethora of skills and adaptability to be successful in this industry, and like many of our other alumni, Ly was able to hone those skills throughout leadership position as an undergraduate brother. Serving as Recruitment Chair taught Ly to represent an organization and network with peers, his time on the Interfraternity Council showed him the importance of governing, and he learned the crucial need for strong ties and respect while holding the position of Alumni Relations Chair. In their downtime, Ly and his wife, Kara, continue to make an impact on those around them by creating scientific graphics and art for scientific publication, abstracts, and websites. These can be found on daytonillustrations.com.

STARTING CENTER:

MATT CULLUM, OKLAHOMA STATE ’92

Coming in at a staggering 75 feet tall, it’s quite possible the most dominant center in the history of basketball, who can only be described as a literal semi-truck. Coming out of Oklahoma State, it’s Matt Cullum! (crowd cheers)

While Matt Cullum may not be an actual 75-foot-tall center, he is the Assistant Chief Engineer—Chassis, Powertrain, and Advanced Concepts at Peterbilt Motor Company. Cullum’s work with the great metal giants, which we all cower to on the highway, makes the logic to put him at center pretty sound. As the Assistant Chief Engineer, Cullum works with his team of seven engineering executives to ensure that their product plan is fulfilled. Utilizing diligent planning and leadership skills, Cullum accomplishes this by defining projects, completing designs and ensuring that his team is completing the validation of their designs to meet customer needs. Leading teams and solving problems is exactly what drew Cullum to the engineering field, and the ability to do so is something in which he takes immense pride. Cullum stated that the most rewarding aspect of his job is getting to work with fellow engineers and seeing them grow their technical and leadership skills.

Career achievements are not the only point of pride for Cullum, he is most proud of the two daughters and the family that he and his wife have created. When asked what he is most excited for in the future, Cullum stated, “This is an exciting time as vehicles start to move to electric power from fossil fuels. It will take a while, but it is exciting to see the transformation starting to happen and to be a part of that.”

BENCH:

JUSTIN REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’98;BRANDON REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’03;BRIAN REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’11

For our three All-Stars coming off the bench, engineering is not only a career, but a family affair. Justin, Brandon, and Brian (The Rowdy Reyes Brothers, a nickname that is being made up for the purposes of this feature) are all three alumni of the Delta Tau chapter at Cal-Poly Pomona and are all three now successful engineers—managing projects and accounts all over Southern California. Brandon is currently

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SIXTH MAN FOR THE PHI KAPPA TAU ENGINEERS:

JAY KRISTOLA, PE, MICHIGAN TECH ’74

After over forty years in the manufacturing industry, Jay Kristola found himself retired and searching for a new hobby. Finding his home in academia, Kristola is now an adjunct professor for his alma mater, Michigan Technical University, also for Gogebic Community College. Teaching Statics, Strengths of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Math, and Physics keep Kristola busy, while also having the flexibility to enjoy retirement. There couldn’t be a more ideal sixth man for this team, a mix of veteran knowledge and a willingness to teach and mentor. Not only working as an adjunct professor, Kristola also helped create an engineering co-op program, designed to incorporate duties that give real world experience for engineers in the manufacturing industry. This ability to create an impact within his organization has been a staple throughout Kristola’s career—working primarily with small to mid-sized companies is what he describes as his “sweet spot.”

For Kristola, Phi Tau was much more than a chance to polish skills he’d go on to use in his career. It was a chance to be exposed to a whole new way of thinking. Growing up on a farm, outside a very small community, Kristola was raised with limited social life and had little interaction with individuals not within his community. After becoming a brother of Phi Tau, he was exposed to a slew of differing ideals, beliefs, and backgrounds. Through this he learned to work within a group, resolve conflicts, and compromise when needed. This spark has carried on through adulthood, propelling Kristola to become an educator and to stay involved with our organization as an alumnus. Being given the chance to serve as an Advisor and Board of Governors member for the Gamma Alpha chapter helps Kristola “maintain his spirit of youth.”

leading new freeway projects, Brian is designing waste facilities, and Justin is working with major water treatment facilities. Stacking the bench with three young players—eager to learn and make a difference in the world—with chemistry only biological and fraternal brothers could have, ensures the success of our Phi Tau engineers. With all the similarities these three have, you would think that there couldn’t be more, but each met their wives while in school and attributes much of their success to a strong work ethic instilled in them by their father. Now with five children amongst the three families, one could only imagine how proud their father is of the bond and successes these three share.

Not only growing their own families, the Reyes Brothers continue to stay involved with ours. Attending many social events, donating

to the BOG for various housing projects, and continuing to network with friends and former brothers. With all three almost being initiated members at Brandon’s wedding (Brian was an associate member), there were over fifty alumni members in attendance. Displaying true and genuine brotherhood that spanned over the course of a decade, The Delta Tau chapter and our organization as a whole is fortunate to have not one, but three Reyes brothers within our fraternity. When asked what advice they would give to undergraduates hoping to be successful in the engineering field, they stated that it is all about building your resume and gaining experience. To them, it is better to take a pay-cut if you can get the right knowledge and time under your belt.

SCOUTING REPORT

There have many a number of notable All-Star teams throughout the years—the 1991 Western Conference team and 2012 Eastern Conference team among them. A smart man would take any odds for the Phi Tau Engineers to take them all down. This star-studded cast of mathematical savants, foreword thinkers, and creative minds only scratch the surface of successful brothers within the world of engineering and across all STEM careers. While this was an enjoyable exercise to highlight the featured brothers and have a little fun along the way, it also shows the depth of talented and ambitious members we have across every field. Almost all brothers featured draw back on their time as an undergraduate and alumni of Phi Kappa Tau both fondly and with praise for preparing them for the road ahead. The All-Stars of the Phi Tau Engineers and all those who were not featured in this piece are continuing to break new grounds, bettering and building the future of our world. For that, we owe a great deal of thanks, and a reminder that we are endlessly proud to have you within our organization and equally proud to call you all brothers.

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