August 1998 to present:

    Associate Professor and Chair of Arctic Engineering Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of Alaska Anchorage, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses including Fluid Mechanics, Waves, Tides and Ocean Processes, Design of Ports and Harbors, Coastal Engineering, Hydrographic Surveying, and Arctic Engineering, and conducting applied research on coastal, ocean, and arctic engineering topics. Current Research projects include Cook Inlet Ice Atlas, Alaska Sea Ice Atlas, and Coastal Processes at Mouth of Kenai River.

May 1997 to August 1998:

    Research Engineer, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Anchorage, Alaska, leading research on ice properties and ice navigation in Cook Inlet and other coastal areas of Alaska and supporting Alaska District, Corps of Engineers, by project management and technical analyses for projects including Kivalina relocation, Knik Arm shoal dredging, Whittier harbor expansion, and environmental infrastructure improvements in the Northwest Arctic Borough. Adjunct professor at Wayland Baptist University, teaching undergraduate Oceanography, and at University of Alaska Anchorage, teaching graduate physical oceanography.

July 1991 to April 1997:

    Principal Investigator/Project Manager for federal port, harbor, coastal erosion, and flood control developments for the Alaska District Corps of Engineers, Anchorage.  Led interdisciplinary teams of Corps, university, and contract specialists to investigate problems and plan regional and site public works at Barrow, Wainwright, McGrath, Whittier, Seward, Williamsport, Anchorage (Knik Arm Shoal), Cook Inlet, the Northern Sea Route, the Kuskokwim River, and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.  Negotiated cost-sharing agreements for feasibility studies with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Municipality of Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula Borough, City of Whittier, and City of Unalaska.  Administered contracts for hydrographic surveys, geophysical surveys, exploratory drilling, soil sampling and testing for chemical contamination, port and harbor economic analyses, arctic ice and weather statistics, marine transportation simulations, wind, wave, tide, commercial ship track measurements, and deployment of remote field camps.  Collaborated with NOAA and Waterways Experiment Station to perform hydrographic surveys, sediment sampling, radioisotope dating of sediments, acoustic Doppler current profile measurements, water sampling and testing aboard NOAA ship Rainier and numerical modeling of tidal circulation and wave transformation.  Performed water property measurements and in situ sampling in the Arctic Ocean aboard the US Coast Guard ice-breaker Polar Sea in collaboration with Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Adjunct professor at Wayland Baptist University, teaching undergraduate Oceanography, and at University of Alaska Anchorage, teaching graduate physical oceanography.

December 1989 - July 1991:

    Director, Smith Ocean Science and Engineering, Clayton, NC, performing contract engineering and oceanographic research services, including acoustical and in situ measurements of dredged material plumes, database of Corps of Engineers coastal structures, expert testimony on effects of Hurricane Hugo, design of harbors and erosion control in North Carolina.  

August 1986 - November 1989:

    Engineer in private practice and doctoral candidate and post-doctoral researcher in physical oceanography at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.  Academic research included data collection and analysis and numerical modeling of circulation in the Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic, coastal waters, tidal inlets, and estuaries.  Served in scientific parties and as Chief Scientist on offshore oceanographic cruises. Consultant work included planning and design of marina development, database development of completed Corps of Engineers coastal projects, evaluation of acoustic Doppler current meters for monitoring dredged material plume dispersion (Mobile, AL).

April 1983 - August 1986:

    Principal Investigator of applied research and public works projects at Coastal Engineering Research Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Led interdisciplinary teams in coastal studies at Fort Ord, California, Homer Spit, Alaska, Johnston Atoll (central North Pacific), Barbados, West Indies, and Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands.  Projects involved contract management, logistical planning and supervision of laboratory and field measurements on land and offshore.  Published reports for transfer of research findings to the Corps of Engineers and public. Conceived and initiated the Automated Coastal Engineering (ACES) program of computer software for coastal engineering applications.

December 1980 - April 1983:

    Chief of Navigation and Coastal Planning, Alaska District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska.  Supervised up to 8 engineers, technicians, and clerical employees, and contracted specialists in planning and design of erosion control, port dredging, and boat harbor developments all across Alaska.  Principal Investigator of port and harbor projects at St. Paul Island, Kodiak, Whittier, Ninilchik, Dillingham, and the statewide bottom fish harbor study.  These multi-year projects, with budgets up to $600,000 each, involved logistical planning and supervision of field measurements on land and offshore.

July 1975 - December 1980:

    Chief, Navigation and Flood Control Branch, Alaska District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska.  Supervised up to 30 (during summer operations) engineers, technicians, surveyors, and equipment operators accomplishing hydrographic surveying, river channel clearing, and dredging, including operation of three government dredges, two survey vessels, and auxiliary equipment at Alaska sites.  Programmed and administered annual operation and maintenance budgets up to $6 million. Negotiated consultant and construction contracts and work orders to other agencies.

December 1973 - July 1975:

    Mechanical Engineer and Engineer-in-Training (intern) at Alaska District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, for design and construction of military and water resources projects, operation and maintenance of dredges, and inspection of contract construction.