Andrew Smith, Ph.D, P.E.
About Andrew Smith, Ph.D, P.E.
Andrew Smith, Ph.D., P.E., is a Managing Engineer at Exponent with expertise in failure analysis and patent law. He has held academic and research positions at institutions such as NASA and the University of Utah, and has provided expert testimony in various legal contexts.
Work at Exponent
Andrew Smith has been employed at Exponent as a Managing Engineer since 2017. In this role, he specializes in failure analysis of construction and manufacturing equipment, focusing on electromagnetic, thermal, and electrical performance and safety concerns. His expertise includes synthesizing complex information and physical evidence to provide insights into accident causation and prevention, particularly in industrial settings.
Education and Expertise
Andrew Smith holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Leeds, which he completed from 2005 to 2008. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, from 1997 to 2001, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Elementary Particle Physics from Durham University in 2002. His academic background supports his extensive expertise in various scientific fields.
Background
Before joining Exponent, Andrew Smith held several academic and research positions. He served as an Associate Research Professor at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from 2014 to 2017 and as a Research Associate Professor at the University of Utah from 2011 to 2014. He also worked as a Visiting Lecturer at Northwestern University from 2009 to 2011 and as a Visiting Physicist at Argonne National Laboratory in 2010.
Professional Contributions
Andrew Smith has provided expert testimony in legal settings, including a deposition regarding a remote-controlled wildlife trapping patent, where he focused on infringement, obviousness, and patentability. He has also conducted investigations into the magnetic field properties of children's toys and provided trial testimony on his findings. Additionally, he developed custom instrumentation to measure strain fields on ceramic components of pressure cookers during use.