John Danko III, PE

Contact Information
Home E-Mail
Home Fax: (501) 640-6660
Home Mail Address
975 W. Via de Gala
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Telephone
Home: (520) 300-6458
Cell: (703) 400-7156
Professional Goals
* Effectively participate and contribute at increasingly meaningful levels to t
he economic success of an innovative, progressive, technologically growth-orient
ed company.
* Continue professional development through both formal education and practice
as a Professional Engineer.
Professional Summary
1. Bachelor and Master Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt and Joh
ns Hopkins University respectively
2. Master of Business Administration in Finance and Venture Management from the
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
3. Professional Engineer (PE) License with proficiency in Electrical Engineering
4. Over Ten Years of Professional Experience in Electrical Engineering involving
the fields of radar engineering, electronics, signal processing, antenna system
s, RF/microwave engineering, electronic warfare, and communication systems.
5. DoD Top Secret (SSBI) Security Clearance, next review date on July 2011.
Desired Job Characteristics
* Location: A strong preference for the Southeastern US, but will strongly cons
ider positions in the Southwest, Midwest, Northwest, and Rocky Mountain states.
However, not willing to relocate to the Northeast or California.
* Desired Industries: Military/Defense, Computer Hardware, Consulting, Consumer
Electronics, Electric Utilities, Semiconductors, and Telecommunications. Open t
o working in any field that I feel I am qualified for by my experience or educat
ion.
* Receptive to International/Global travel and work. Amenable to a moderate amo
unt of overnight travel.
* Interested in business opportunities that may not be as technically challengi
ng or complex as my engineering background.
Education
May 2006
Master of Business Administration
University of Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
* Concentrations in Finance and Venture Management; Cumulative GPA = 3.94/4.0.
* See UNLV Coursework, Curriculum, Diploma, and Transcript for additional infor
mation.
August 2003
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
* Concentrated studies in communications systems, RF and microwave engineering,
antenna systems, radar engineering, and signal processing; Cumulative GPA = 3.9
0/4.0.
 * See Johns Hopkins Graduate Design Projects, Coursework, Curriculum, Diploma,
and Transcript for additional information.
May 2001
Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
* Double Major in Mathematics and Minor in Computer Science
* Magna Cum Laude and Electrical Engineering Honors Program Graduate
* Cumulative GPA = 3.65/4.0, Electrical Engineering GPA = 3.74/4.0
* See Vanderbilt Undergraduate Design Projects, Coursework, Curriculum, Diploma
, and Transcript for additional information.
Work Experience
December 2003 to Present
Electrical Engineer
Raytheon Company
Various Locations
* These dates correspond to years of service at the following Raytheon companie
s: JT3 in Las Vegas, NV and RMS in Tucson, AZ. Raytheon certified six sigma (6s)
specialist since 2007. Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) Nomine
e.
August 2006 to Present
Electrical Engineer
Raytheon Missile Systems
Tucson, Arizona
* Signal Processing Center, Air Dominance and Naval Weapons Systems Department,
Legacy Air to Air Seekers Section
Small Diameter Bomb II: Radar Hardware Analysis and IRAD Oversight
August 2006 to February 2007
* Developed a simulation of the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) radar hardware.
This simulation involved developing libraries of code and duplicating the funct
ionality of the FPGA processing in Matlab, which consisted of pre-detection proc
essing, moving target indicators (MTI), and Doppler beam sharpening (DBS).
* Participated in internal program reviews, generated presentation slides, and
prepared monthly financial reports for an internal research and development (IRA
D) tri-mode seeker that consisted of a semi-active laser (SAL), passive imaging
infrared (IIR) and an active millimeter wave radar (MMW).
AMRAAM Electronic Warfare Upgrade Program: Radar Testing and Analysis
February 2007 to Present
* Conducted ten week-long sessions in a hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) laboratory
to test the electronic protection (EP) performance of the AIM-120C AMRAAM, the a
dvanced medium range air-to-air missile, against various methods of electronic a
ttack (EA).
* This testing effort corresponded to studying the effects of these EA threats
on the system's performance, and then to identify and mitigate the impact of suc
h threats through future upgrade and design efforts. This testing was conducted
at the Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) - Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center We
apons Division (NAWCWD).
* Supported monthly technical interchange meetings (TIM) and program reviews wi
th the customer. Performed analysis of telemetry (TM) data using Jataprobe on HW
IL and TAS outputs. Provided results and analysis for final project review.
* Modified the tactical AMRAAM simulation (TAS) to analyze performance against
various forms of electronic attack (EA) and various configurations of electronic
protection (EP). Compared HWIL results to that of the software simulation.
* Completed a six sigma project of a data analysis tool with a colleague. This
is an automated software tool for taking hardware or software simulation data fr
om various directories and dates, and processing it with Matlab and Unix scripts
. The process included file conversion, information gathering, post processing s
cripts, and a final output to an Excel file. Modified this analysis tool for use
with data from various efforts and sources.
* Organized and lead an effort to fix over 50 software trouble reports (STR). U
sed the ChangeSynergy application to review numerous software change requests (S
CR). Analyzed telemetry (TM) data files and software fixes to resolve numerous S
TRs. Utilized Telelogic's Synergy configuration management 6.3 and 6.4 CM client
s to review code in various software build releases.
* Upgraded TeamSim, the legacy AMRAAM 6dof simulation, to include additional EA
functionality and capabilities. These upgrades were merged from TAS. Radar hard
ware characteristics were included in the upgrade to include accurate received r
esponses from the EA source. Simulation modifications were derived in CodeGen an
d implemented in Fortran.
* Conducted an EW project to determine improvements for phase 2 AMRAAM missiles
against an EA threat. This involved the analysis of results from the HWIL, weap
on system evaluation program (WSEP), and 6dof simulation to determine requiremen
ts and improvements. Understanding the legacy missile hardware and tactical code
were necessary for this evaluation.
Capabilities Enhancement Program: Electronic Warfare Design of a Developmental M
issile
March 2008 to August 2008
* Served as lead electronic warfare (EW) engineer on development effort for pro
viding electronic protection (EP) recognition methods and mitigation techniques
against a myriad of electronic attack (EA) threats.
* Wrote various documents leading up to a plan for the EW development effort. T
hese include a statement of work (SOW), suggestions for possible improvement, an
d notes regarding existing systems. Presented a plan to the program manager and
chief engineer detailing the scope and schedule for this effort.
* Wrote a report concerning RF propagation through the atmosphere. Sources for
RF absorption in the atmosphere include primarily: oxygen, water vapor, liquid w
ater, and ice.
* Determined the clutter bandwidth in Doppler and velocity extents for a given
antenna, depression angle, and radar platform velocity. Determined radar enable
ranges based upon RF and system parameters.
* Constructed an EW table with the help of my section manager, which detailed c
urrent and future performance against various EA threats. Performed calculations
to determine the range and orientation at which various EA threats will be a pr
oblem.
* Worked with a software simulation team, the system performance and notional k
inematic simulation, to implement my EW plan documented prior. This included sim
ulating various EA threats as well as the electronic protection required to coun
ter such threats. Worked with the advanced radar modeling simulation (ARMS) team
to develop EA threat waveforms.
* Documented risks associated with this effort for a risk opportunity managemen
t (ROM) review and performed a technology readiness level (TRL) assessment.
* Presented and generated a mid-year review to internal customers (IRAD) on the
EW effort status and results.
AMRAAM Radome Upgrade Program: RF Testing and Analysis
October 2008 to March 2009
* Tested AMRAAM missile performance between the legacy pyroceramic radome and n
ew composite radomes at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NA
WCWD).
* This testing involved a variety of electronic attack, low observables, target
maneuvers, and engagement scenarios.
* Performance results included using different radome compensation tables and d
istortion coefficients. Analysis involved determining any detriments of the new
radomes and how these can be mitigated.
December 2003 to August 2006
Electrical Engineer
JT3 - Joint Test, Tactics, and Training (LLC)
Las Vegas, Nevada
* JT3 is a joint venture between Raytheon and EG&G. EG&G is now owned by URS Co
rporation.
RF and Microwave Engineering for Radar Hardware Upgrade Project
December 2003 to June 2005
* Calculated the cutoff wavelength/frequency, characteristic impedance, guided
wavelength, and attenuation for single and double ridged waveguides.
* Created a model of HJ5-50 coaxial cable based upon data from the manufacturer
using Eagleware's Genesys.
* Modeled X and Ku band Duplexers, creating RF cascades and simulating the tran
smit and receive paths.
* Modeled multi-frequency land clutter, using Weibull distributions.
* Wrote a Technical Requirements Document (TRD) and a Statement of Objectives f
or the purchase of a high power, UHF band solid-state transmitter amplifier.
* Developed a transmitter phase noise testing setup with a consultant from the
Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Used a National Instruments (NI) DAQPad-
6015 along with NI's Labview to perform data acquisition and perform the require
d signal processing.
Signal Processing and Algorithm Development for Post-Processing Software System
April 2004 to August 2006
* Responsible for updating and documenting various signal processing approaches
and methods in an algorithm specification document.
* The following algorithms were created with a similar procedure:
1. The method and approach were developed.
2. A prototype was built in Matlab.
3. The algorithm was coded in the software system by a programmer.
4. Testing, verification, and validation were then performed.
5. The algorithm and testing outputs were recorded in formal documents.
* System gain calibration process
* Reference channel stability monitoring
* Signal to body ratio (SBR) flag
* Signal to clutter (SCR) flag
* Blind range calculation
* Blind speed determination
* Signal to noise ratio (SNR) calculation with coherent (predetection) and nonc
oherent (postdetection) pulse integration
* Second order least squares curve fit (quadratic regression model)
* Comparison of Dirichlet kernel match with Chirp-Z Transform (CZT) peak for a
point scatterer
* Wrote an internal report on spectral leakage that described scalloping loss a
nd other effects associated with the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT).
* Documented time, space, and position information (TSPI) from tracking radars
along with telemetry (TM) data transmitted wirelessly. Described the use of the
TSPI and TM data streams in the post-processing software system and determined a
good approach to employ in the storage and retrieval of this data.
* Corrected a mistake in the calculation of the blind range by an existing syst
em.
* Wrote a report to define a relationship between a false alarm probability, a
threshold, and a mean noise power.
Grounding Examiner/Approver - Grounding Advisorv Group
October 2005 to August 2006
* As a Professional Engineer, this role consisted of inspecting and either appr
oving or stating the necessary modifications to grounding drawings for a civil e
ngineering group.
July 2001 to January 2004
Electrical Engineer
Naval Research Laboratory - Department of the Navy
Washington, DC
* Code 5328: Radar Division, Advanced Radar Systems Branch, Signal Processing T
heory and Methods Section
FIR Filter Optimization Toolbox - Digital Signal Processing
July 2001 to September 2001
* Wrote a user's guide and manual for an FIR filter optimization toolbox softwa
re, called Opt, for use with Matlab.
* Opt consists of a set of classes for manipulating and optimizing FIR filters
based on predefined information.
Aegis Combat System with SPY-IB/D Radar: Signal Processing and Post-Processing A
lgorithm Software Development
October 2001 to July 2003
* Analyzed data from the AN/SPY-1B/D Radar (the heart of the Aegis Weapon Syste
m) recorded aboard the USS Lake Erie (CG-70) in the Arabian Gulf (a heavy clutte
r environment).
* Used this quantitative data to obtain performance limitations of the current
SBY-IB/D in the Arabian Gulf and to gain a better understanding of the Arabian G
ulf radar environment. Created PPI plots and clutter maps from this data in Matl
ab, which involved some basic signal processing and data retrieval/handling tech
niques from Exabyte brand tape drives.
* Simulated the back-end processing of the SPY-1B/D receiver in Matlab. This pe
rformed the Pulse Doppler processing of radar returns, which included motion com
pensation, pulse compression, Doppler flittering, CFAR, velocity estimation, amb
iguity resolution, and post detection processing.
* Developed and employed several potential upgrades for controlling the false a
larm rate including Doppler filtering, clutter attenuation screening (CAS), and
sensitivity velocity control (SVC).
* Wrote an internal report documenting all of the signal processing, modeling,
and simulation outputs of this analysis.
* Presented this USS Lake Erie data analysis at the radar division annual revie
w and to several other Navy organizations.
* Gained first hand familiarity and experience with the SPY-ID radar while part
icipating in the Scientist to Sea program aboard the USS Ramage (DDG-61) in May
2003. These Aegis activities led to supporting events at the Naval Surface Warfa
re Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) and the Norfolk Naval Station,
AMRFS - Advanced Multifunction RF System: Signal Processing and RF System-Level
Algorithm Development
July 2003 to January 2004
* Served as Action Officer for the Advanced Multifunction RF System (AMRFS) pro
gram, where radar (navigational, search, and tracking), electronic warfare (elec
tronic surveillance and electronic attack), and communications functions are int
egrated into a common set of RF apertures and the functionality is defined by so
ftware.
* Accompanied the AMRFS Coordinator to AMRFS related program briefings and meet
ings at the Pentagon, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington; the Chesa
peake Bay Detachment (CBD); and the Washington Navy Yard.
* Analyzed various nonlinear FM pulse compression waveforms using various Windo
wing functions, the Taylor function, and other nonlinear techniques to achieve l
ow time/range sidelobes for a narrow bandwidth waveform. This involved building
a simulation and testing the various waveforms in Matlab. The chosen nonlinear F
M pulse compressed waveform was used with the navigational radar function.
* A simulation of time delay estimation for the calibration of transmit array q
uadrants was created in Matlab. It used phase measurements at various frequencie
s to derive a time delay for the transmit array channels. This approach was empl
oyed in the calibration of the RF apertures with their respective radiating elem
ents in the transmit operation.
* Wrote a file translation program in C that converted large ASCII files into H
DF5 files that were smaller and easier to use. HDF5 is an hierarchical data form
at that emphasizes efficiency in data storage and retrieval.
May 1999 to May 2001
Electrical Engineer Intern
Vanderbilt University Physics Department
Nashville, Tennessee
Atom Trapping and Laser Cooling Project: Electronics. Optics. and Vacuum System
Testing. Assembly. and Operation
* This project replicated the effect known as Bose-Einstein Condensation, which
several researchers had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics a few years ear
lier for their discovery of this effect. This research dealt with the cooling an
d trapping of Rubidium atoms using grating-stabilized diode laser systems and sa
turated absorption spectrometers.
* Responsibilities included all aspects of the project: planning, scheduling, p
urchasing components, and supervising machining and part fabrication.
* Designed a mounting apparatus for fabrication that held a spherical vacuum ch
amber on an optical table.
* Supervised the construction of a glass chamber to introduce Rubidium gas into
the ultra-high vacuum system.
* Design work included the configuration of the electrical, optical, and vacuum
systems in this atom trapping project.
* Designed, constructed, tested, and simulated electronics for the project, whi
ch included a current control circuit, a temperature control circuit, a servo-lo
ck circuit, and an amplifier circuit. .
* The optical system included grating feedback laser assemblies, a saturated ab
sorption spectrometer, and many optical mirrors, mounts, quarter-wave plates, le
nses, beam splitters.
* The vacuum system included a turbo pump, an ion pump, as well as many ultra-h
igh vacuum components such as flanges, valves, view-ports, elbows, straights, an
d bends.
* Measurements and troubleshooting were performed on the optical and vacuum ass
emblies as well.
* Created and gave technical presentations based upon work from the research pr
oject.
Professional Licensure
I am a registered Professional Engineer (PE) with a proficiency in Electrical En
gineering. The following are the details of my examinations administered by the
NCEES. License numbers and additional information are available upon request.
Date
Examination
AM - Breadth
PM - Depth
Certification
April 2004
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)
General
Electrical Engineering
Engineer Intern (EIT)
April 2005
Principles and Practice of Engineering (PPE)
Electrical Engineering
Electronics, Communications, and Control Systems
Professional Engineer (PE)
* See Professional Engineer (PE) License and Engineer Intern (EIT) Certificate
for more information.
Professional Memberships
Organization
Member Since
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
November 1999
Eta Kappa Nu (HKN)
April 2001
Order of the Engineer
May 2001
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
June 2006
Additional Information
1. Click on web links above for more details. Local links can be downloaded here
in part 1 and part 2.
2. Please speak with my wife, as I am unavailable to speak during the week, exce
pt for some evenings and weekends.
3. View longer, unabridged resume for complete information.