William J. Burke Ph.D.

About Me


From an early age I knew I wanted to be an engineer, and a love of motorized vehicles (cars, airplanes, and motorcycles) led me toward mechanical engineering. I started at the University of Kentucky in Lexington Kentucky in the fall of 1995, and in May 2000, I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in mechanical engineering as Summa Cum Laude. I began my professional career shortly there after, and in 2005 I began the long road to attaining my PhD from University of California Berkeley.

I married the love of my life, Krista Drescher, in 2000, and in 2008 we had our first child, Molly Zelda (no she wasn't named after Princess Zelda). In May 2010 our second beautiful child was born, Penelope Lucinda. We recently (June 2010) moved from Oakland, California to Louisville Kentucky, an we currently live in the Highlands Neighborhood.

I have quite a few hobbies but fewer since the arrival of Molly. I am a technology maven, and I keep up with my tech blogs using my favorite gadget - Google Reader. I own a 1978 Honda CB550 that I brought back to life after purchasing it for $250 off of craigslist. I'm an avid runner that likes middle to long distance races - 12k to half marathon. I've played team sports my entire life, but I'm currently without a go-to sport.

Education

University of California Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 94720
Sept 2005 -- May 2010
PhD in Mechanical Engineering

My major was controls, and I minored in MEMS and artificial intelligence. My research advisor was David Auslander, and our research focused on design and control of large scale distributed energy systems. (See my research page for more details.)

Controls AI MEMS
ME134 Automatic Control Systems CS188 Intro to Artificial Intelligence ME175 Intermediate Dynamics
ME230 Real Time Applications CS 281A Statistical Learning Theory ME219 MEMS Optimization
ME232 Advanced Control Systems I CS 294 Algorithmic Game Theory EE 245 Intro to MEMS Design
ME233 Advanced Control Systems II
ME234 Robust Control
ME237 Non-Linear Control

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 40507
Sept 1995 -- May 2000
Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering

I participated in the engineering co-op program, working for Pratt and Whitney on commercial and military aircraft engines. Further, I interned at TI Automotive Systems working as a manufacturing design engineer.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Shawnee High School

4018 W Market St
Louisville, KY 40212
Sept 1990 -- June 1995

While in high school I obtained my private pilot's license, and I graduated as the sole valedictorian of my class.

Professional Experience

I've been working as an engineer since 1997. The following highlights my employment record:


Dates Experience
May 1997 -- Dec 1998 Co-op at Pratt and Whitney in E. Hartford, CT and W. Palm Beach, FL
May 1999 -- Dec 1999 Engineering Intern at TI Automotive Systems in Cynthiana, KY
May 2000 -- Aug 2003 Product Development Engineer at Lexmark in Lexington, KY
Jan 2004 -- Nov 2004 Application Engineer and Development Engineer at Nanomuscle in Antioch CA
Nov 2004 -- May 2010 Engineering Consultant working on mechanical design, software, and controls.
May 2010 -- Present Engineer at GE Appliances in Louisville KY.