ABOUT US / Nelson Wallace
Nelson Wallace Senior ScientistPhone: (805) 765-7850
Email: nelson@acumenscientific.com
Description
Senior Scientist | Acumen Scientific, Goleta, CAOptical systems concepts and system performance models. Technical project management. Aerospace, biomedical, and commercial projects. Optical systems requirements definition, translation & allocation, sensor models and algorithms, optical design & analysis, and assembly & alignment.
Experience
2001–2008 | Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, Goleta and El Segundo, CA
Technical Fellow: Optical engineering management, and detailed optical design and analysis for civil spacecraft optical payloads. Optics IPT Lead for Aerosol Polarimeter Sensor (APS). Optics IPT Lead for Advanced Baseline Imager Patent for in-flight calibration technique awarded in 2006.
2000–2001 | Advanced Optical Engineering, Westlake Village, CA
Director of Engineering: Helped a friend with his start-up company, until its successful sale to Viewsonic.
1988–2000 | TRW Advanced Technology Division, Redondo Beach, CA
Senior Staff Engineer/Section Head: Provided project management, system level analysis, optical engineering, and detailed optical design. Managed optical projects including infrared and visible imagers, lasers, and spectroscopic instruments. Management of sensor and algorithm modeling for NPOESS optical sensors. Numerous winning proposals.
1988 | Lockheed Aeronautical Systems, Burbank, CA
Senior R & D Engineer: Responsible for a variety of Skunkworks airborne infrared and electro-optical systems and phenomenology.
1979–1988 | Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Manager, Sensors Section: Supervised optical systems engineers. Detailed knowledge of laser propagation, turbulence, and atmospheric attenuation/emission prediction codes (LOWTRAN, FASCODE, MODTRAN, etc.). Participated in all aspects of space-based system programs.
1979 | Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, CA
Principal Engineer: High energy laser mirror production. Managed optical hardware development, procurement, and fabrication. Project responsibilities included detailed work planning, scheduling, and pricing.
1976–1979 | Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, CA
Member of Technical Staff: Lens designer for visual sights, FLIRs, space sensors, laser pointers and other optical systems. Designed both reflective and refractive optics using Code V and HEXAGON software packages. Performed detailed tolerance and diffraction analyses. Created design software improvements that increased organizational productivity. Hands-on participation in optical alignment of the pointer telescope of an airborne high energy laser.
Education
BS Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GAMS Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY