Mechanical Engineering

External Advisory Board Members


 EMILY BEAGLE

Member since 2021

Education:

BS in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Systems Engineering; MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Engineering Experience:

Emily Beagle, PhD is an Associate with the Breakthrough Technologies program at RMI. Prior to joining RMI, Dr. Beagle has served as an ASME Science and Technology Policy Congressional Fellow in the office of Senator Tina Smith and as the CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow in Data Curation for Energy Economics at the University of Texas at Austin.  Her dissertation research involved experimental combustion work, specifically examining thermochemical conversion pathways, fuel characteristics, and co-utilization reactions of woody biomass for energy sector emission reductions. She has also assessed the feasibility of bioenergy projects using techno-economic assessment and life-cycle analysis.

 


 ROBERT DECKER

Member since 2012

Education:

BS Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming

Engineering Experience:

Mr. Robert Decker is a computational fluid dynamics research engineer with the High Performance Computing Research Center at the US Air Force Academy. He has held his current position since 2008 where his research focus has primarily been in the areas of hypersonic and high supersonic flow, chemically reacting flows specially tied to high energy laser systems, and massively separated flows. Prior to his current position, Mr. Decker was an active duty Air Force officer for eight years where his duty assignments included operational flight test on bomber and remotely piloted platforms as well as serving as an instructor in the aeronautics department at the U. S. Air Force Academy.

 


 SAM DENKA

Member since 2021

Education:

Engineering Experience:

 


 MAUREEN HAND

Member since 2005

Education:

Engineering Experience:

 


 CRAIG HOSSFLED

Member since 2021

Education:

Engineering Experience:

 


 CHRIS LAURSEN

Member since 2021

Education:

Engineering Experience:

 


 ROWLAND LINFORD

Member since 2007

Education:

BS Mechanical Engineering from University of Wyoming; MS Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan 1966.

Engineering Experience:

Following completion of the master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1966, I began a career at the GE Atomic Power Equipment Department.  My career at GE continued over the next 43 plus years. While employed at GE, I had a multitude of different responsibilities and assignments including reactor nuclear analyses, power plant safety and stability analyses, plant computer monitoring, systems engineering, engineering management and executive management level positions. I also contributed to the Three Mile Island Lessons Learned Assessment and Implementation.

  Following retirement from GE in 2009, I also had the great opportunity and unique experience of returning to UW to develop and teach the Introduction to Nuclear Engineering Course in the ME Department for several Semesters.  It was a fulfilling experience to be a part in the next generation of engineer’s preparation for modern engineering careers.  

 


 ANNETTE LYNCH

Member since 2007

Education:

BS Mechanical Engineering University of Wyoming 1988; MS Mechanical Engineering University of Wyoming 1991

Engineering Experience:

Following graduation from the University of Wyoming, Annette began working at Woodward Governor Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, as a product engineer responsible for large engine fuel control actuators. Over the course of 30 years, Annette has worked for Woodward, Inc. in various capacities.  For the past 18 years, she has been a regulatory compliance engineer, responsible for global certification of Woodward’s turbine control valves and actuators.  Annette has also been an active volunteer in ASME as a leader in the ASME Centennial Section, a Program Evaluator for ABET, and an ASME Scholarship evaluator.

 


 BEN VETTER

Member since 2013

Education:

BS Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming 2014

Engineering Experience:

Born and raised in Torrington, WY, Benjamin attended the University of Wyoming.  After graduation, he began working as a Design Engineer for Bobcat Company.  Since joining Bobcat, Benjamin has been on the Loader New Product Development Team where he is tasked with designing, testing, and implementing new skid and track loader machines.  Specific areas of focus since joining Bobcat Company include NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) treatments and most recently HVAC systems.  He currently resides in Bismarck, ND with his wife Megan, daughter Christine, and son Samuel.

 


 DAVID E. WALRATH

Member since 2016

Education:

BS and MS degrees from the University of Wyoming and his PhD from the University of Delaware. 

Engineering Experience:

David's background is in composite materials analysis, testing, and processing, as well as design.  He served as a research engineer at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio before returning to a research position at UW.  He later joined the UW faculty.  During his career he assisted small Wyoming companies in product development and in submitting and completing Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) projects to develop and market their product ideas.  He retired as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, but later returned to be interim director of the NIST MEP center Manufacturing Works before finally retiring after 40 years with UW. 

 


 DANIEL WENGER

Member since 2021

Education:

Daniel is currently a student at the University of Wyoming enrolled as a Mechanical Engineering and Energy Systems Engineering dual major.

Engineering Experience:

Daniel assisted Dr. Paul Dellenback with the construction of a water flow rig in the undergraduate lab of the new Engineering Education and Research Building (EERB). He has also been a Peer Mentor for incoming CEAS students during summer orientation sessions, and will be working in Cheyenne with Murphy Company during this upcoming summer in a mechanical engineering internship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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