Zachary Spidell
About Zachary Spidell
Zachary Spidell is a Mechanical Engineer III at General Atomics, specializing in hydraulic systems and controls. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego.
Work at General Atomics
Zachary Spidell has been employed at General Atomics as a Mechanical Engineer III since 2017. In this role, he serves as the point of contact for electrical-mechanical issues on the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) project. His responsibilities include engineering, testing, and deploying CSI firmware for critical hydraulic valves. He has also built and operated a valve test bench to isolate and leak-test hydraulic valves. Additionally, he has created high-pressure fluid cycling procedures for the hydraulic brake subsystem and compiled systems-level project documents for GA-EMS satellite projects.
Education and Expertise
Zachary Spidell holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering from UC San Diego, where he studied from 2011 to 2015. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Science (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution, completing his studies in 2016. His academic background includes significant projects, such as designing circuitry for a piston retaining ring fatigue test fixture and developing a hydraulic/mechanical model of the hydraulic brake subsystem using MATLAB Simscape.
Background
Zachary Spidell completed his high school education at Westview High School from 2007 to 2011. He began his career in engineering as a Quality Engineering Intern at Northrop Grumman Corporation, where he worked for six months in 2010-2011. His early experiences laid the foundation for his subsequent roles in mechanical engineering, particularly in the areas of testing and design.
Achievements
Zachary Spidell has been recognized as the Mechanical Technologies Section I MVP for January 2019 and February 2020 at General Atomics. His contributions to various projects, including the development of data analysis MATLAB scripts for a planetary bearing and a 7KW motor, have been instrumental in enhancing operational efficiency and effectiveness within his team.