ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - Key Persons
Mr. Bovie is an electrical engineer with extensive experience in using X-Ray equipment for the analysis of product failures. He has completed FEMA and IAAI Coursework in fire and explosion investigations on structures and vehicles. Mr. Bovie has instructed tenured university engineering professors and faculty in the analysis and interpretation of CT imaging for failure analysis of composite materials for aerospace applications.
As a Staff Consultant with Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi) in the fire and explosion practice, Alejandro investigates fire and explosion incidents across the United States. Alejandro is a licensed professional engineer with over 10 years of experience in the areas of fire protection engineering, fire dynamics, and fire hazard and risk management. His expertise includes fire protection and alarm systems, life safety, fire dynamics, fire & explosion modeling, chemical process safety, process hazard analysis, dust hazard analysis and compliance with industry codes and standards.
He has experience performing fire & explosion risk assessments and safety, risk, and hazard evaluations for chemical processing facilities, including oil & gas processing, pipeline distribution, loading and offloading process, chemical and petrochemical, food manufacturing, and manufacturing facilities.
Prior to joining ESI, he worked as a process safety and risk management consultant where he supported the design and operation of chemical process, pipelines, and manufacturing facilities from the fire & explosion perspective.
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Engineer in ESi 's Automotive
- Senior Staff Consultant / Manager of Miami Operations
Alexander McCulla is a mechanical engineer in ESi's Automotive practice and brings significant expertise in the design, performance, and failure analysis of specialty purpose vehicles and equipment used in various industry sectors, including motorsport, oil and gas, and industrial-commercial construction. His experience spans the full lifecycle of these vehicles, including research and development, diagnostic and performance analysis, risk assessment, and failure analysis. Mr. McCulla also has significant experience in project management.
Prior to joining ESi, Mr. McCulla gained a wealth of experience in the operation and maintenance of high performance vehicles, working as a driver, driving instructor, mechanic, and engineering team lead for professional racing competitions. In these roles, he worked directly with clients and groups to help develop, implement, and manage specific projects in the areas of vehicle testing, product research, and vehicle/component tuning.
Dr. Amber Rath Stern, Ph.D., P.E. was recognized with the Charlotte Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Leadership Award.
Job Titles:
- Principal / Director / Safety & Risk Assessment
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Consultant / Manager of Fort Myers Operations
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- Senior Technologist / Manager of Dallas Operations
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Senior Director of Technology Services
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- Principal / Manager of Minnesota Operations
Mr. Cornel de Jongh is a biomedical engineer and licensed professional engineer in mechanical engineering with almost 15 years' experience in injury biomechanics and related projects. He specializes in injury biomechanics, mechanisms of injury and injury causation, motocross and motorcycle safety and analysis, sports-related injury, passive occupant restraints, and computational modeling. Prior to joining ESi, he has been involved in the design, development, and testing of safety products, particularly for the head, neck, shoulder, knee, and ankle. He has conducted research in injury mechanics of the neck as a Senior Lecturer at Stellenbosch University - Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he also taught various biomedical and mechanical engineering courses. Mr. de Jongh continues to act as an external examiner for the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Health Sciences.
Mr. de Jongh is listed as the co-inventor in four granted patents and four patent publications, of which one has gone on to win numerous trade awards for motorcycle safety innovation. He has been invited to present his work on neck injury prevention at international conferences and as a keynote speaker, including at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester MN) where he was invited to present his work on the development of a novel neck brace to reduce the risk of cervical spine injury in off-road motorcycle riding.
Mr. de Jongh has testified in trial as a subject-matter expert witness in the USA and South Africa and has acted as a consulting expert in the field of injury biomechanics and product design on many other occasions.
Mr. de Jongh is fluent in English and Afrikaans.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Staff Consultant With the Civil Engineering
Mr. Moriarty is a Senior Staff Consultant with the Civil Engineering team. He has more than 5 years of experience in building design including structural analysis, structural drawing and detail production, and risk assessment. This includes new and existing buildings in a range of sectors such as single- and multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, power generation, and hospitality. While Mr. Moriarty specializes in the design and construction of residential wood structures and commercial steel structures, he has also designed masonry, light gauge, and mid-rise concrete buildings. He has extensive experience with drawing production and Building Information Modeling in AutoCAD, Revit, and Tekla Structural Designer. Mr. Moriarty has managed full project life cycles from conceptual design through construction administration.
Prior to his career in structural design, he was a Reliability Engineer in oil refineries and natural gas facilities. In Chicagoland as well as the Arctic Circle in Alaska, he assessed the risk and impact of failing concrete and mastic fireproofing and maintained quality control on large-scale renovations during turnarounds.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant / Manager of Iowa Operations
Job Titles:
- Fire Investigator
- Member of the National Fire Protection Association
Mr. David Wilson is a fire investigator whose areas of expertise include fire behavior and dynamics, heat and flame vector analysis, and fire phenomenon calculations. He has hands-on experience in photography, forensic evidence collection, scene diagramming, 3D Laser Scanning technology, and report writing.
Prior to joining ESi, Mr. Wilson was a member of the United States Navy and the Kentucky Air National Guard. He is a military veteran with over ten years of service, including more than five years as a firefighter. Mr. Wilson attended the Department of Defense Fire Academy where he completed his training top of his class with honors. While serving his state and country, Mr. David A. Wilson attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) seeking a bachelor's degree in Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation. He graduated EKU's Bachelor of Science program with Summa Cum Laude honors.
Mr. Wilson is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), IAAI North Carolina Chapter, and the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI). He has tested and earned his IAAI's Certified Fire Investigator (IAAI-CFI) designation and NAFI's designations as a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), and Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI). IAAI and NAFI award these designations based upon a thorough evaluation of a candidates training and professional expertise.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant
On Apr. 8, 2019, ESi Principal Dennis Brickman presented to the Consumer Product Safety Commission about tragic accidents involving residential elevator child entrapment.
Mr. Derrek-Ian Verlaan has been performing scientific investigation, research, and consulting for over 20 years. His consulting practice areas include construction, safety, environmental, and fire.
Mr. Verlaan investigates residential and commercial property losses related to structural, fire, water damage, mold, and corrosive drywall. As part of the ESi catastrophe response team, he conducts construction and safety consulting, origin, cause and damage assessment for large scale commercial and residential property losses resulting from natural disasters, fires, and explosions. He performs safety consulting and manages safety projects related to premises liability, slip, trip, and fall incidents, occupational safety and health, and research. Mr. Verlaan's fire investigation experience includes origin and cause for property, vehicles, commercial vehicles, and marine fires, as well as investigation, research, and project management in support of subrogation and litigation claims. He performs and manages projects related to Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, soil and groundwater testing, remediation, mold, indoor and outdoor air quality assessments, environmental litigation, and research. Mr. Verlaan's technical and mechanical background includes marine, powersports (ATV/UTV/ PWC/motorcycle), automotive, HVAC, electrical, industrial, and hydraulic equipment.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant
Job Titles:
- Engineer
- Senior Staff Consultant
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) A. Burns is a metallurgical engineer with experience in manufacturing, materials processing, and failure analysis. She is proficient in leading and conducting metallurgical laboratory investigations and possesses significant hands-on experience with a variety of material characterization techniques, including cross-sectioning and metallography, optical microscopy, and electron microscopy. She has experience with many modes of failure, such as fracture, fatigue, corrosion, and wear, and she has conducted investigations involving a broad range of metal products, including castings, forgings, welded structures, electrical components, and beverage cans. Dr. Burns is also a Navy Reservist, currently enrolled in the Navy Reserve Engineering Duty Officer Qualification Program and supporting Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
Prior to joining ESi, Dr. Burns was employed by The Boeing Company where she helped implement new metal alloys and manufacturing methods, including additive manufacturing, for commercial and defense applications. She is also familiar with industry specification development and qualification procedures for new materials and processes.
Dr. Burns completed her Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology while working part-time for The Boeing Company and supporting an industry consortium effort managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. Her graduate research focused on using residual stress measurement techniques to better understand the effects of machining and hole drilling on fatigue life of metal aircraft components. Dr. Burns also held internships with GE Aviation and Alcoa Warrick Operations.
Job Titles:
- Principal Emeritus and Co - Founder
Mr. Emmanuel (Noel) Manuel's principal areas of professional activity include accident investigation, accident reconstruction, vehicle dynamics, vehicle impact analysis, vehicle dynamics simulation, event data recorder analysis, automotive research, instrumentation, and testing. He also has hands-on experience using a wide range of investigation tools and techniques.
While at UTSA, he worked on various projects including one that involved the design and application of adaptive suspension systems and another involving the design, construction, and testing of a device to treat intracranial aneurysms at bifurcations. The latter project earned him and his team two awards. Prior to joining ESi, Mr. Manuel held an engineering position with J. Eftekhar & Associates where he served as Staff Engineer and Analyst handling consultation and case review, accident investigation, accident reconstruction, research and testing.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant / Vice President
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Director
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Engineer
- Senior Staff Consultant
Dr. Bain is a chemical engineer with over 15 years of experience investigating performance of materials on behalf of government, industrial, and academic clients. His extensive product failure analysis experience covers a wide range of polymeric and non-polymeric materials, including engineering thermoplastics, thermosets, composites, elastomers, gels, textiles, glasses, ceramics, and metallic components. His expertise is aimed at solving complex problems involving performance of materials and determining root-causes of product failure based on a deep understanding of material chemistry, processing, structure, and property relationships and how these interact with design, manufacturing, and extreme service environments. His approach is based on reliable and proven scientific techniques applicable to a wide range of industries including piping, transportation, construction, defense, medical devices, adhesives, electronics, consumer products, and more.
Prior to joining ESi, Dr. Bain worked for seven years at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory as a staff scientist and post-doctoral research engineer. His research on polymer and composite materials for body armor, lightweight vehicle protection, ballistic clay replacement, battlefield wound care, additive manufacturing materials and processes, and high voltage electronics resulted in significant advances to soldier capability. Dr. Bain has published numerous peer-reviewed journal papers and has been invited to present his research at domestic and international scientific meetings.
Ms. Smith specializes in manufacturing compliance, quality assurance, quality control systems, vendor audits, and troubleshooting manufacturing packaging issues. She is a skilled auditor, quality specialist, solid and liquid dose manufacturing investigator, and quality control analyst with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has performed numerous audits in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in countries such as China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, and India.
Ms. Smith is committed to continuous improvement and focuses on providing efficient solutions and processes for validation programs, laboratory and manufacturing investigations and audits, as well as data integrity audits and training.
Job Titles:
- Principal / Director / Commercial
Mr. Nagalia is experienced in analysis of products manufactured from polymer, polymer composites, rubber, and ceramic materials. He applies his knowledge in material chemistry, material characterization, chemical analysis, thermal analysis, and processing techniques to investigate products from various industries. Mr. Nagalia's additional experience includes characterization of ceramic materials and processing methods of ceramic. He also has experience developing, testing, and analyzing concrete based ceramic composites.
Job Titles:
- Senior Staff Consultant
- Staff Consultant
Mr. Jacob Stegemann is a Mechanical Engineer and a Staff Consultant for Engineering Systems Inc (ESi). Mr. Stegemann is a licensed Professional Engineer. He specializes in automotive accident investigation and reconstruction for recreational, commercial and passenger vehicles. He is also experienced in vehicle and biomechanical instrumentation, imaging and interpreting airbag control modules, scene documentation, 3D laser scanning and drone photography. Mr. Stegemann handles artifact chain of custody documentation for the Michigan office.
Mr. Stegemann has extensive experience in the inspections of vehicles, buildings, accident sites and fire scenes. He is experienced in generating 2D and 3D computer aided models and vehicle and pedestrian crash simulations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Engineer With
- Senior Staff Consultant
Mr. McGillicuddy is a degreed Mechanical Engineer with ESi in the Fort Myers, Florida office. Prior to joining ESi, Mr. McGillicuddy was a crew chief and lead engineer in the Grand-Am professional racing series and has experience in motorsports engineering, automotive, and mechanical design, as well as vehicle dynamics and testing. His professional experience also includes vehicular accident investigation and reconstruction, failure analysis, product research, and automotive component testing.
At ESi, Mr. McGillicuddy is involved in accident investigation and reconstruction of vehicular accidents, vehicle systems analysis, and field documentation using FARO Scanning and electronic data recording devices. He is also experienced in data analysis and vehicle testing.
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Senior Staff Consultant
Jason Stenman is an accomplished architect with more than 28 years of experience in both design and construction administration. His expertise encompasses initial design conception, development, construction documents, and post-completion performance evaluation. He specializes in forensic architecture, providing expert consulting to attorneys in construction disputes and construction defect matters, as well as owners/insurance adjusters in matters related to property loss claims arising from natural or man-made events.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Senior Managing Consultant / Director / Chemistry
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- Senior Staff Consultant / Facilities Manager
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Consultant / Manager of North Carolina Operations
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Manager of Washington Operations
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- Principal / Practice Group Director
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Manager of California Operations
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Graphics Technologist
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- CEO
- Chairman of the Board
- Principal
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- Senior Consultant / Chief Remote Pilot
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Director
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Manager of Illinois Operations
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- Senior Consultant / Manager of Colorado Operations
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- Lead Technologist
- Senior Graphics Technologist
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant
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- Senior Managing Consultant / Director
Tony Dill has joined the company to help lead a new Security and Defense Services group in our Biomechanics and Safety practice.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Consultant