James Sobotka

James Sobotka has extensive experience in engineering and research. James began their career as an Undergraduate Researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where they conducted experimental research on magneto-rheological dampers. James later joined the Naval Surface Warfare Center as a Naval Research Enterprise Intern, assisting in experimental testing of naval ship steels.

After completing their undergraduate degree, James continued their research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a Graduate Research Assistant. During this time, they developed finite element software to analyze crack behavior in structural metallic alloys and studied the nonlinear response of crack fronts.

James then worked as a Post-doctoral Researcher at the University of Illinois, where they extended an elastic-plastic constitutive model for metallic alloys to include thermal effects. James also served as a Senior Engineer at Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation, investigating advanced plasticity and damage models for metallic alloys.

Currently, James is working at Southwest Research Institute as a Lead Engineer. James'sresponsibilities include leading the development of new features in reliability software, producing proposals for clients, developing business opportunities, and implementing automated methodologies to reduce execution time.

Throughout their career, James has demonstrated a strong focus on research and development in the field of engineering.

James Sobotka earned a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, completing their studies from 2006 to 2010. Prior to that, they obtained their M.S. in Civil Engineering from the same institution, graduating in 2006. James started their academic journey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where they received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2004. In addition to their educational qualifications, James has also obtained a certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute in 2022.