S. Chad Gibbs

I have worked at both a startup company and a large corporation. I believe the combination of the two experience has helped create a well balanced work ethic. At the small startup (Gumstix) I learned the importance of taking your own initiative and finding ways to be productive without being told what to do. At Northrop I developed the skills necessary to work within a large corporation. I learned the importance of the human capital that is inside such an established firm as Northrop. Being the most efficient worker at a place like this requires tapping into this wealth of knowledge to help develop the best solutions to challenging problems.

I have chosen to forgo entering the workforce to advance my technical expertise by attaining a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science at Duke University. As a Ph.D. student at Duke working for Dr. Earl Dowell, I have had the opportunity to develop and advanced technical skills working for an adviser who is at the forefront of his field.

While being a Ph.D. student I have also had the opportunity to work with local Durham startups. I recently had the privilege of working as an applications engineer for Capire a startup developing a micro gas turbine engine. I have now transitioned my extracurricular work to developing wireless mesh sensor networks for energy usage audits. I have been lucky to be supported by another Durham startup, Sustainable IS.