1. technology and computing

THOMAS P. SHEAHEN, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
Education
Ph.D., 1966:
B.S., 1962:
Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Registered Professional Engineer in Maryland, #12682
Professional Experience
1982 - present
Western Technology, Inc.; President/CEO
As head of my own independent consulting firm, I specialize in technology issues with business
implications. I hold final P&L responsibility for all aspects of the business. Typical examples include:
using large Excel model to forecast long-term economic impact of superconducting devices, modeling
growth of electricity in developing countries and their associated CO 2 emissions, writing Amicus Curie
brief for federal court case involving scientific principles, planning a coordinated research plan for
developing economical cryogenic devices, computationally analyzing rate of return and profitability of
competing R&D opportunities under uncertain economic conditions, and giving expert testimony on
energy conservation to the Pennsylvania PUC.
2005 – 2009
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Senior Analyst, Systems Integration Office, Washington DC
Member of a team that guides a Dept Energy (DOE) interdisciplinary R&D program directed
toward a future hydrogen economy. Cognizant of a multi-year horizon, and subject to Congressional
scrutiny, our job is to anticipate obstacles, evaluate progress, recommend course-corrections, and
assemble the R&D components to “make it all come true.” DOE has also requested my service in
initiating and structuring a similar multi-year program for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).
1993 - 2002
Science Applications International Corporation
Senior Scientist, Energy Systems Group
Technical anchorman on several projects supporting U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in
cooperation with private sector (utilities). Led team of evaluators in selecting renewable energy projects
for support by NREL Commercialization Ventures Program; this effort involved both technical and
business judgment about the likely profitability of these projects, and required insight to see through
inflated assertions by proposers. Other activities included analysis of isotope-separation technologies,
evaluating superconductivity R&D, and leading marketing effort for Renewable Energy technology.
1988 - 1992
Argonne National Laboratory
Author of textbook: Introduction to High Temperature Superconductivity (1994). Principal
author of topical reports to EPRI explaining key concepts in superconductivity. This involved converting
latest reports from technical literature into understandable prose for managerial/policy-making audience.
Also introduced peer-review method of evaluating Technology Transfer projects, and won Gold Medal
from Technology Transfer Society in 1995.
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1985 - 1986
Energy Research Advisory Board to DOE; Executive Director
This board guided the spending of several billion dollars annually in non-military R&D at
national laboratories. My responsibilities demanded technical participation in the full range of energy
issues, ranging across nuclear power, fossil fuel supplies, solar and renewable energy, to efficient use of
energy by industry. Steering this board required resolving conflicts between expert scientists having
disparate views; and anticipating future policy directions of the board.
1983 - 1984
SRI International (Stanford Research Institute)
Program Manager, Technology and Innovation Management
Center, Washington, D.C.
Principal responsibility was to market technical capabilities of SRI to clients such as DARPA,
NSF and NASA. Won NSF contract by originating novel approach to evaluation of patents. Showed
that royalties do not measure value of patents, and prescribed a method for universities to maximize
overall benefit from inventions, through industrial collaboration.
1980 - 1982
Congressional Office of Technology Assessment
Senior Policy Analyst, Industrial Energy Program
Studied legislative options available to congress to enhance capital formation. Principal author
of OTA report Industrial Energy Conservation (1982). Emphasized multi-objective goals as key to
understanding corporate management response to new legislation. Originated and carried out
computational modeling of capital decision-making process, including tax aspects. Interacted with
financial officers of major corporations to verify conclusions. This study impacted 1982 tax law.
1975 - 1983
National Bureau of Standards
Held a series of increasingly responsible positions concerned with management of R&D
relating to energy and industrial productivity. Specific accomplishments include:
a. Division Chief (1979-80): Responsible for 20 people. Focused on research in industrial
process control, including development of microprocessor based sensors. Starting with a staff reassigned
from acoustics, built a unified interdisciplinary team to improve measurement technology for energyintensive industries. After less than 1 year, National Academy of Sciences review panel termed this
redirection “highly successful”. Initiated cooperative R&D with both university faculty and industry.
b. Manager of Smart Sensor Program (1980): Responsible for development of R&D program
to utilize microprocessors in industrial control systems; activities included establishing R&D
collaboration with universities, industry and other agencies, budgeting and securing support for the
program, as well as technical direction. In first few months, obtained a 4-year contract from DOE for
development of smart sensors for the paper industry.
1977-78
Congressional Science Fellowship
Served as Legislative Aide for Energy and Science to Senator Mark Hatfield, while holding a
fellowship awarded by the American Physical Society, on leave from NBS. Responsible for developing
positions on all aspects of major energy legislation of 1977-78. During conference-committee
negotiations on the Natural Gas bill (which lasted over 8 months), successfully defended Senator
Hatfield’s positions and obtained his key objectives. I learned a great deal about integrity in politics
during this fellowship.
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1973 - 75
Industrial Nucleonics Corp.
Columbus, Ohio; Senior Physicist
Responsible for initiating and carrying out development of new measurement systems and
sensors for on-line industrial process controls. Authority included making technical judgments, defining
and controlling budgets, and contributing to personnel and organizational restructuring. Scientific leadoff man on teams who visited customers to sell total-factory process control systems.
1966 - 1973
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Whippany, New Jersey
Member of Technical Staff
One of team of five Bell Labs scientists who designed, subcontracted and directed an Army
study of missiles re-entering the atmosphere. Shared responsibility for the supervision, design and
analysis of rugged, remote-sensing instruments mounted on-board space vehicles. I spent the Army's
money as if it were my own.
Inventions
Inflation-correcting graph paper
Telephone-activated electronic combination lock
Honors
John Carroll University: George Gund Lecturer in Environmental Sciences, Fall 1998
Technology Transfer Society: Lang-Rosen Gold Medal for publication, 1995
American Physical Society: Congressional Science Fellow, 1977-78
Teaching Innovation
Taught algebra to disadvantaged fourth grade students using “Discovery” method developed by Project
SEED. Taught classes 4 days per week for full school year in addition to my regular work. (SEED remotivates underachieving children by giving them an experience of success in mathematics and
generating a good self-image.) Also promoted Project SEED among business, military and political
leaders. Obtained commitments of support from 10 major corporations in Portland Oregon when SEED
was introduced there.
Publications: Books
Sheahen, T. Introduction to High Temperature Superconductivity (Plenum Press: 1994)
Sheahen, T., and A. Wolsky, Editors, Directory of Ceramic Superconductor Research and Related
Research Bearing upon the Electric Power Sector, publ. for Int'l Energy Agency, Oct. 1991.
Selected Publications in Applied Science: Journal Articles and Book Contributions
1965-1975: 20 publications in various physics journals, resulting from MIT and Bell Labs research.
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Cho, B., and T. Sheahen, Cross-Section Requirements for Industrial Gauging Applications, pp. 500-503
in Nuclear Cross Sections and Technology, National Bureau of Standards spec. publ. #425 (1975).
Sheahen, T., Using Infrared Thermography for Industrial Energy Conservation,
Auditing and Conservation, Y.Y. Haimes, Ed., Hemisphere Publ.. Co. (1980).
Ch. 6 in Energy
Sheahen, T., Effect of Atmospheric Attenuation on Temperature Measurements Made Using IR Scanning
Systems, Applied Optics 22, 1070 (1983).
Sheahen, T., and J. Ryan, Technology Transfer into Capital-Intensive Industry: I. The Paper Industry by
the Year 2000, J. Technology Transfer 7(2), 69 (1983).
Ryan, J., and T. Sheahen, Technology Transfer into Capital-Intensive Industry: II. Effect of Legislative
Action, J. Technology Transfer 8(1), 47 (1983).
Sheahen, T., and E. Bazques, Energy Productivity Investments Under Differing Economic Conditions
and Tax Structures, Energy, the International Journal 9, 605(1984).
Sheahen, T., Industrial Superconductivity - Practical Applications,
Management 8, 57(1989).
Strategic Planning and Energy
Shaw, J., and T. Sheahen, The After -Math and -Science of the Gulf War, The Science Teacher 58 (7), 19
(Oct. 1991).
Shaw. J., and T. Sheahen, Correcting Hubble Vision, The Science Teacher 61(12),16 (Dec. 1994)
Sheahen, T., R. Rosenthal, R. Hawsey, S. Freiman and J. Daley, Evaluation of Technology Transfer by
Peer Review, J. Technology Transfer 19 (#3-4), 100 (Dec. 1994).
In July 1995, this paper was awarded the Gold Medal as the Journal’s best paper for 1994.
Publications: Conference papers
Sheahen, T., Opportunities to Apply Physics to Energy Conservation Problems in Process Industries.
Examples from Textiles and Papermaking, pp. 201-206 in "Physics Careers, Employment and
Education", American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings #39 (1978).
Sheahen, T., Use of Infrared Thermography in Pulp and Paper Mills, invited paper for TAPPI Annual
Meeting, Chicago IL (1978).
Sheahen, T., A. Hoffman, and S. Salama, Effect of Various Legislative Options on Capital Investment,
invited paper for TAPPI Annual Meeting, Washington DC (1982); pp. 145- 154.
Sheahen, T., Economic Evaluation of Control Systems Under New Tax Provisions, Ch. 34 in Advances
in Energy Cost Savings for Industry & Buildings, (Publ. by Association of Energy Engineers, 1983).
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Sheahen, T., Space Commercialization: Analysis of R&D Investments with Long Time Horizons, Second
Symposium on Space Industrialization, Huntsville AL (1984), pp. 350-361.
Giese, R., T. Sheahen, A. Wolsky, and D. Sharma, High Temperature Superconductors: Their Potential
Role in Electrical Utility Applications, Amer. Power Conference, Chicago IL (1990).
Sheahen, T., Electricity Demand Growth in Developing Countries, ASME Int’l Joint Power Generation
Conference, Baltimore MD (1998), pp. 565-571.
Grant, P., and T. Sheahen, Cost Projections for High Temperature Superconductors, Applied
Superconductivity Conference, Palm Desert CA (1998).
Mulholland, J., and T. Sheahen, Model of Losses in U.S. Electrical System, DistGen 2000 Conference,
San Antonio TX (2000).
Sheahen, T., B. McConnell and J. Mulholland, Method for Estimating Future Markets for High
Temperature Superconducting Power Devices, Applied Superconductivity Conference (2000), publ. in
IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 12 # 2, pp 1784-1789 (June 2002)
Publications: Reports
Co-authored numerous reports on topics ranging through re-entry instrumentation (Bell Labs), industrial
instrumentation and analysis of measurement economics (Industrial Nucleonics), research program plans
(National Bureau of Standards), industrial energy conservation (Office of Technology Assessment),
National Energy Policy Plans (DOE), and renewable energy technology (S.A.I.C.)
Kreider, K., and T. Sheahen, Use of Infrared Thermography for Industrial Heat Balance Calculations,
National Bureau of Standards Technical Note #1129 (1980).
Sheahen, T., Physical Principles of Microgravity Research, NASA Office of Space Commercialization
(1986).
Sheahen, T., Industrial Superconductivity: Practical Applications, Dept. of Energy, Office of Industrial
Programs (1987).
Rote, D., J. Herring, and T. Sheahen, Applications of Superconductor Technologies to Transportation,
Argonne National Laboratory report ANL/CNSV-68 to U.S. Department of Energy (1989).
Giese, R., T. Sheahen, and A. Wolsky, Superconductor Development: Tracking and Coordination
Network, Argonne reports to EPRI, monthly reports 1988-1991; plus comprehensive annual reports for
1989 and 1990. These reports were the forerunner of my book on superconductivity.
Sheahen, T., Economics of Cryogenics for High Temperature Superconducting Motors, report to Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (1999).
Sheahen, T., et al, Cryogenic Roadmap, report to U.S. Dept. of Energy (2000).
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Mulholland, J., T. Sheahen and B. McConnell, Analysis of Future Prices and Markets for High
Temperature Superconductors, U.S. Dept of Energy (2001, 2003)
Excel computer code downloadable from: http://www.ornl.gov/HTSC/pdf/HTSMarketBeta.zip
Oral Presentations
1967-present: Numerous technical papers presented at professional society meetings.
While at Bell Labs, made presentations to civic organizations and high school groups in Oklahoma,
Oregon and Texas on subject of "Responsibility in Science”. Videotaped version was given very wide
circulation by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
Spoke at five west coast universities in 1978, describing American Physical Society Congressional
Fellowship program. Presentation demanded careful balancing of need to portray excitement and
challenge of position with need to respect Congressional confidences.
Videotaped my tutorial presentation “Using Infrared Thermography for Industrial Energy Conservation”
at a national energy conference in 1979. It was then chosen by AMCEE as the pilot film for marketing
an entire package of video tapes from the conference.
Described applications of superconductivity to industry to several groups, including Association of
Energy Engineers, Materials Engineering Society, and industrial research collaborators.
During 1989-1991, demonstrated Meissner Motor (as part of presentation on high temperature
superconductivity) to groups at many different technical levels: high school physics classes, Naval
Reserve Technical Conference (1990), Department of Energy Energy Awareness public displays (1989,
1990), Southern Engineering Society (1991), and Maryland Society of Professional Engineers (1991).
Presented "Progress Toward Making HTS Wire Conductor" to scientific audience in Minsk, Belarus
(former Soviet Union); August 1991.
Taught "Technical Components in Political Issues" to The Leadership Institute, 1995, 1996, & 1997.
Presented George Gund Lecture in Environmental Science at John Carroll University, November 1998,
on subject of international CO2 emissions and effects on climate.
Presented “Major Technical Challenges Facing the Hydrogen Economy” to Washington DC chapter of
Sigma Xi (November 2006) and MIT Club of Baltimore (May 2007).
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