Zachary Towner, Eit Email & Phone Number

East Hartford, Ct, Us

Responsible for building out and leveraging the high-temperature servohydraulic testing capabilities for experimental research efforts of the P229 Materials program. Collaboratively engaged in projects towards incorporation of additively manufactured materials in the repair of existing and design/development of new power generating assets as well as projects to understand/predict/prevent failures of conventionally-manufactured components of similar assets.

Greater Atlanta Area

My research aims at developing a unifying approach to extend time-dependent fracture mechanics concepts to creep-brittle materials. Through experimental investigations with Ni-based superalloys, in conjunction with computational verification, I seek to understand the nature of crack tip stress fields for growing cracks in the presence of small-scale creep and transient conditions existent in these materials.Advisors: Dr. Ashok Saxena (Univ. of Ark.), Dr. Richard Neu (GT), Dr. Chris Muhlstein (GT)

In Creative Decisions and Design (ME2110), students design and fabricate a robot to perform tasks of varying complexity. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, my responsibilities included: 1) Training students on Arduino programing for operating various components (actuators, solenoids, etc.) of the final robot; 2) Training and/or advising students on various tools and equipment used for fabrication (hand tools, laser cutters, 3D printers, etc.); 3) Advising students on general mechanical design best practices; 4) Review and provide detailed feedback on assignments and presentations regarding the use of design tools, technical writing, and professionalism. I also collaborated with a faculty member, Dr. Richard Cowan, to oversee weekly in-lab sessions where students had dedicated time to work on their projects. Together, we created a positive, open-ended learning environment which fostered creativity and individual determination. Doing so contributed to one of our teams successfully winning the final competition by consistently scoring the most points compared to the other 46 teams.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Area

This 7-week project focused on comparing various constitutive models and failure criterion for their efficacy in predicting the energy absorption, among other things, of a 7075-T651 aluminum envelope under low-velocity impact loading with the goal of developing a safety standard for the maximum tool weight that could be used around components made of this material.This summer internship program occurred under the Nonlinear Mechanics and Dynamics (NOMAD) research institute hosted by Sandia National Laboratories in conjunction with the University of New Mexico.

Greater Atlanta Area

As a graduate teaching assistant, I, with a colleague, oversaw laboratory experiments and facilitated student learning as part of the undergraduate ME3057 Experimental Methodology curriculum. Laboratory topics include signal analysis, vibration/modal analyses, mechanics of materials, and acoustics. Similarly, I worked closely with lead TAs and professors to offer insights into portions of the lab procedures that were confusing to students and offered solutions to resolve future issues.

Greater Denver Area

As a track field engineer for Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, I worked as part of the Eagle P3 project, North Metro Rail Line, and Southeast Rail Extension in Denver, CO. My typical duties included the following:Designing alternative solutions based on field observationCost engineering and managementProject scheduling Performing take-offs, procuring materials, and tracking ordersGenerating RFIs, submittals, etc.Effectively communicating with upper management, vendors, and crewsAdditionally, I have had the opportunity to function as the project engineer over smaller projects which helped strengthen company relationships between Balfour Beatty Rail and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). These projects ranged between $600K-$2million in scope of work and it was my role to help coordinate work plans, vendors, and deadlines. As a result of these projects, our team received praise from the upper management of both BBR and the client for the speed at which the projects were completed and for the safe practices we exhibited on the job sites.

Project tracking and follow-up to ensure that large-scale initiatives were being addressed by the IT Services division.

Measured airflow through data center and recommended methods to improve air circulation; created master list of equipment, service provided, and power configuration for 150+ server racks; created database for tracking and updating changes to server racks inventory within data center

Created IT Business and Technical Services Catalog which was later developed into enterprise-wide application; Learned language and structure of IT on enterprise-scale operations; Interviewed 50+ experienced IT personnel to create simple-to-use, interactive document

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Mechanical Engineering, 4.0/4.0

Activities and Societies: ASTMCurrently pursuing graduate level degrees at the Georgia Institute of Technology with a primary focus.

Master'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering, 4.0/4.0

Currently pursuing graduate degrees at the Georgia Institute of Technology with a focus on mechanics of materials.

Bachelor'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering, Major Gpa: 3.73/4.0 Cumulative Gpa: 3.59/4.0

Activities and Societies: Alpha Phi Omega, Men's LacrosseMy undergraduate course work at CSM gave me the opportunity to diversify my.

Education record

Activities and Societies: National Honor Society, Japanese National Honor Society, Lacrosse, Sci-Tech Program