Dr. Robert P. Parker received his M.S. in General Engineering and Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State University in 1968 and 1973, respectively. After graduation, he worked for Uniroyal Research, Harley Davidson, and Wyle Laboratories, where they used ANSYS for seismic qualification of equipment for nuclear power plants. The Three Mile Island disaster put an end to construction of new nuclear facilities.

For the next twenty years, he was on the faculty of Weber State University in Utah. He taught Statics, Dynamics, and Strength of Materials, as well as related subjects. During the summers, he worked with a small engineering company in Salt Lake City that performed design work for several manufacturers. He now works full time for that same company, DJH Engineering. He is the Patran/Nastran guy and also does some Adams. Currently, their two main customers are John Deere and Stewart and Stevenson, who make military trucks.

NOTE: Two of our Centennial Fellows are spotlighted each week.