is a graduate from the Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota. He has spent most of his career in the development and sales of sensors, instrumentation and controls. He has worked with NASA Glenn Research Center to commercialize thin film sensors for harsh environments in aerospace and automotive applications. It was through this collaboration that he studied microfabrication techniques, thin film deposition and vacuum maintenance. Tom has been an instructor in the Vacuum Technology Department at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota for 6 years. At Normandale, he has contributed to grant work funded by NSF-ATE to develop vacuum technology curriculum and make it accessible by remote classrooms via telepresence and portable training systems.