* Fully-automated, vertical farming systems development
**** LED lighting system design
**** Hydroponic system design
**** Air-flow system design
**** Environmental and imaging sensor integration
**** UI/control software development
**** 100+ variety trials

• Responsibilities included customer interaction (acknowledgement, assistance, and appreciation), stocking and organizing product, inventory management, and cashier
• Member Kroger Cultural Council – tasked with improving working relationships between management and associates

• Lead engineer “Smart Field” project, Urban Horticulture Center (Blacksburg, VA) and Catawba
Sustainability Center (Catawba, VA)
• Lead an interdisciplinary research team (horticulture, mechanical engineering, industrial
engineering, computer science) of students and faculty to explore novel management methodologies
to enhance plant and soil productivity
• Responsible for equipment specifications, purchasing, and installation
• Developed, evaluated, and implemented a wireless environmental sensor network and GUI
(graphical user interface) using LabVIEW to monitor real-time soil and atmospheric conditions
• Experimental design: collected, maintained, and analyzed soil and atmospheric data (e.g. moisture,
temperature, pH, CO2, O2, H2, N2O) to estimate impacts of microbial consortia on soil respiration
rates and nitrogen loss
• Lead project proof-of-concept demonstrations for potential collaborators in industry and academia
• Provided biannual written and oral progress reports (e.g. revised Gantt charts, updated budgets,
additional funding opportunities)
• Meaningfully contributed to funding proposals worth $150k+
• Acted as lead author on extensive literature reviews
• Lead and participated in invited talks, seminars, and workshops

• Member of the Washer/Dryer Group
• Provided field trial support through prototype failure analysis and database management

• Member of the Innovations Lab
• Contributed to the development of a prototype low water-use, vertical (i.e. top-loading) washing machine

• Member of the Trivection Oven Group
• Collected and maintained data related to magnetron life-cycle testing
• Provided magnetron root cause failure analysis