Tyler Patterson
About Tyler Patterson
Tyler Patterson is a Mechanical Engineer currently employed at General Atomics in San Diego, California, where he has worked since 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and has experience in opto-mechanical subsystem design and project management.
Work at General Atomics
Tyler Patterson has been employed as a Mechanical Engineer at General Atomics since 2021. In this role, he has coordinated the preliminary design phase of opto-mechanical subsystems, addressing various constraints including mechanical, opto-mechanical, electro-mechanical, and general physics. He contributed to a formal contract proposal for the follow-on manufacturing phase of the Upper Wide Angle Viewing System (UWAVS) program. Prior to his current position, he worked at General Atomics from 2018 to 2021, gaining extensive experience in mechanical engineering.
Education and Expertise
Tyler Patterson holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University, where he studied from 2012 to 2016. He furthered his education at San Diego State University, obtaining a Master of Science (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering from 2019 to 2023. His academic background provides a solid foundation in mechanical engineering principles, which he applies in his professional roles.
Background in Mechanical Engineering
Tyler Patterson has a diverse background in mechanical engineering, having worked in various capacities since 2015. He began his career as a Technical Intern at Weyerhaeuser for three months in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Following this, he served as a Mechanical Engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center from 2016 to 2018, and then returned to General Atomics for a three-year tenure before his current role. His experience spans multiple engineering disciplines and project management.
Professional Achievements
Throughout his career, Tyler Patterson has led significant initiatives, including a transition of PLM tools from SolidWorks to CATIA, ensuring minimal disruption to program cost and schedule. He has managed collaboration with both international and US stakeholders and subcontractors, overseeing subsystem schedules, costs, and resource tasking. Additionally, he participated in evaluating the feasibility of new computational simulation software, focusing on benchmarking and case study comparisons of CFD packages.
Role in ITER Project
Tyler Patterson served as the technical lead for one and a half of the five opto-mechanical subsystems within the Upper Wide Angle Viewing System (UWAVS) diagnostic, which supports the ITER thermo-nuclear fusion reactor. His leadership in this capacity highlights his expertise in complex engineering projects and his ability to contribute to significant scientific endeavors.