Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2018

Montague was the first Cedarville hire in 2004. He now serves as the Director of Engineering, supervising 25 engineers who work in six teams on 12 to 15 projects at a time. Six of those engineers are Montague’s fellow Cedarville graduates. “The relationship’s really helped us,” Sparks said. “When we first hired Brian, it wasn’t necessarily my intent to develop a relationship as good as it is now with Cedarville, but I’m super-pleased that it has developed into that because most of our best engineers are from Cedarville.” FAIL FAST, LEARN FASTER In SeaLandAire’s expansive industrial-type lab area, Stephen Ziegenfuss ’06, who has worked primarily in hydromechanics, demonstrates the hands-on approach that makes his job fulfilling. “I’m a crazy hands-on guy,” he said as he works with Vince, a technician who previously served 25 years as a fishing guide on local rivers. Drone technology has brought together this unique pairing. They methodically layer different fabrics on the body of a first-generation prototype of a high- efficiency, winged, unmanned air vehicle. Then they seal two large sheets of plastic together around it to form a vacuum. Ziegenfuss’ goal is to build a vehicle as light as possible that can still carry the data-collecting payload. When they finish, an air compressor goes to work sucking air out of the bag they’ve created. This process — much like the trial- and-error nature of prototype development — is ongoing as they keep plugging tiny leaks in the makeshift bag. But there is a patience to their work that comes from advice Ziegenfuss got from his dad. “A good engineer is a guy that knows he’s going to make mistakes,” he said as he goes about sealing the plastic. “A great engineer is a guy who knows he’s going to make mistakes and hurries up to make them as fast as he can.” That’s why Ziegenfuss is in the lab now. He wants to see the scope of the idea and allow the engineering and building to synergize. Engineers often have ideas that are not feasible to build, so the sooner he can figure out what is feasible and what is not, the more efficient he becomes. “It’s all about getting that data out from a place that you wouldn’t want to go or couldn’t go, like 15,000 feet below the ocean surface or on a contested shoreline,” Ziegenfuss said, referring to the drones he develops. On another table in the lab sits a small camouflaged boat much further along in development that has been nicked up a bit in field tests. The surveillance camera that sits on top looks similar to one you would see hanging from a ceiling. Inside the boat is a diesel engine that can run for hours. “We want to keep our guys away from bad guys,” Ziegenfuss said. “So how can we make it better and more reliable so that when our guys need it, they can pull it out and throw it in the water in whatever condition and it will work?” When SeaLandAire’s prototypes are successful, they are turned over to a manufacturer. The engineers’ goal is to create tools that help their U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine clients collect data and stay safe around the world. ALL HANDS ON DECK What Sparks values about Cedarville engineers is their systems mindset — an approach that combines technology, architecture, and people — and their willingness to get their hands dirty. They bring a well-rounded approach from different engineering disciplines: Montague, Ziegenfuss, and Steve Smith ’09 are mechanical engineers; Joe Niemiec ’14 and Austin Russell ’16 are electrical; Justin Engel ’13 and Ethan Zonca ’13 come from the computer side. “Even though they are just mechanical or even though they are just electrical, they have a good grasp What Sparks values about Cedarville engineers is their systems mindset — an approach that combines technology, architecture, and people — and their willingness to get their hands dirty. 18 | Cedarville Magazine