PSESMAS Advisory Board

Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Dave Perdziola ('87 E SC, '90 M.S.)
(2019-2027), Chair
Manager, Structural Mechanics
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc

VICE PRESIDENT

Mike Rudolph ('10 E SC)
(2018-2027)
Government Strategy Manager
MathWorks

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 

Charles Gaston ('61 E SC)
(2013-2024), Previous Chair
Department & University Relations
Retired, Assistant Professor
Penn State York

SECRETARY

Wes Blakeslee ('69 E SC)
(2025-27)
Retired, Executive Director
Johns Hopkins University

RECORDING SECRETARY

Lana Fulton
(2024 - )
Coordinator for Alumni Development and Advancement
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Penn State University

AT LARGE MEMBERS

Kevin Chen ('95 E SC)
(2014-2025)
Director of Business Development
Applied Material

James Oliver ('75 E SC)
(2012-2025)
Consulting Engineer
Northrop Grumman

Kyle Sinding ('14 E SC, '15 M.S.)
(2016-2025)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab

Brent Wagner ('84 E SC)
(2019-2024), Co-Chair
Principal Research Scientist
GA Tech Research Institute

Rebecca Balkey ('18 E SC)
Sr. Principal Systems Engineer
Northrop Grumman

Abdalla Nassar (’08 E SC, ’12 PhD)
(2025 - )
Vice President
Astro America

ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT MEMBERS

Abby Dodson ('12 E SC)
Program Manager
Peterbilt Motors Company, Lear Corporation

Andrew Geng ('23 E SC)
M.S. Student
Columbia University

Jonathan Pitt ('05 E MCH, '09 ESMCH)
Research Faculty, Intelligent Systems Division
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Caeden Smith ('22 BS, '23 MS)
Mechanical and Modeling and Simulation Engineer
John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory

Donald Heaney (’91 ES C, ’93 MS, ’97 MATSE Ph.D)
President and CEO
Advanced Powder Products

Maria Piedrahita ('14 E SC)
Global Transitions Project Manager
Pratt & Whitney