By Jillian Wright
With monumental achievements such as sending the first humans to the Moon, developing the International Space Station and advancing high-speed flight, the aerospace industry has always inspired and amazed Tim.
âThat comes from my grandfather who fought in World War II,â he said. âWhen I was growing up, he was always taking me to airshows and sharing with me about the U.S. Air Force, and he was fascinated by airplanes and flight.â
Carrying these experiences with him throughout his career, Tim is a technical fellow leading the technology and strategy efforts for Northrop Grummanâs Propulsion Systems and Controls operating unit in Elkton, Maryland. Currently he and his team are taking additively-manufactured continuous fiber reinforced composite materials and turning them into high-temperature materials for applications in hypersonic vehicles.
âIâm leading the effort to develop and characterize those materials and evaluate their performance for those applications,â he said. âWhatâs really exciting about my role and what weâre doing on our current project is that itâs a great opportunity to solve hard problems that no one has addressed before.â
For Tim, a 2019 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineer of the Year award recipient, creative problem-solving helps him define whatâs possible in his work every day.
âItâs interesting to see how everyone thinks of engineering as numbers and hard science, but thereâs a strong creativity aspect to be able to address the challenges,â he said. âThe excitement of engineering is being creative to solve those unique challenges when youâre trying to create new products, improve existing ones and develop the next generation of technologies.â
Another one of Timâs passions he fulfils through his work is helping to support the warfighter. Heâs looking ahead to new chapter as the company breaks ground in July to start developing a Hypersonics Center of Excellence in Elkton.
âThis is really a leapfrog in production capabilities for our site as well as for the country,â he said. âItâs going to lead directly to supporting the warfighter by providing them the tools they need to defend our freedoms and our way of life.â
As chairperson of Northrop Grummanâs local STEM council, Tim also finds fulfillment through community outreach in the classroom by judging science fairs, participating in âCareer Day,â conducting STEM student activities, sponsoring scholarships, and more. Whatâs important is being able to share his excitement for aerospace with children the way his grandfather did with him.
âWhat he shared with me when I was growing up, Iâve wanted to share with the next generation,â he said. âItâs always fun to give back to the students and share with them the great experiences the industry provides that I enjoy so much.â
For those interested in pursuing a career in engineering, Tim recommends exploring personal passions and approaching every opportunity with an open mind.
âMake sure youâre doing something youâre passionate about that you enjoy doing every day because that will keep you going,â he said. âAnd be open to opportunities you wouldnât normally consider to get different experiences and exposure to different aspects of the company. That can lead you to some unique places.â
Return to Life at Northrop Grumman home page.