Dr. Patrick McDaniel is currently Research Professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico. Dr. McDaniel began his career as a pilot and maintenance officer in the U.S. Air Force. After leaving the Air Force and obtaining his doctorate at Purdue University, he worked at Sandia National Laboratories. He left Sandia to become the technical leader for Phillips Laboratory’s (which became part of the Air Force Research Laboratory) Satellite Assessment Center. Having taught at the University of New Mexico in the Graduate Nuclear engineering program for 25 years, when he retired from Sandia in early 2009, he joined the faculty at the University of New Mexico full time. Dr. McDaniel holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University, an MS in Resource Management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, an MS from CalTech in Mechanical Engineering, and a BS in Engineering Science from the USAF Academy.