|
q |
Tell us a
little about yourself and your family, Gregg. |
|
a |
My wife Cassandra and I have
been married for more than 32 years. We have two
daughters, Amy and Lisa. Amy and her husband, Jeff, are
also IEEE members, and they both have BSEE and MSEE
degrees. Lisa just graduated from the University of
Alabama with a BSME. Yes, she has a mechanical
engineering degree…I’m not sure where I went wrong!
Cassandra is a musician with a Masters of Music degree.
She is surrounded by engineers and brings artistic
balance to our family. |
|
q |
What's
the best thing about living in Alabama? |
|
a |
One of the great things
about living in Alabama is the food. I really enjoy
barbeque. In Alabama, that means pork slowly cooked over
an open hickory wood fire with tomato-based sauce.
I’m also pleased to be a
part of the University of Alabama at
Birmingham faculty. I enjoy the "professor's life," and having
opportunities to teach students, as well as to help
industrial firms. |
|
q |
What did
you "want to be" when you grew up? |
|
a |
I've been interested in
electronics for as long as I can remember. I made my
first crystal radio in the fifth grade. It didn't work.
So, in the sixth grade I made my first audio amplifier
(with tubes) to connect to the crystal radio. Together
they worked quite well. |
|
q |
Which
historical figure do you most identify with? |
|
a |
I have a lot of respect for
Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. |
|
q |
What is
your idea of "perfect happiness"? |
|
a |
Everyone is made for a
purpose. People are most fulfilled when they are able to
find their purpose and do it. It's like this: a
teapot is successful when it is making tea. |
|
q |
What is
your greatest fear? |
|
a |
I don’t really have a
greatest fear. That's not to say that I'm unconcerned
about danger, but there is not one overwhelming thing
that I fear. |
|
q |
Who is
your favorite hero of fiction? |
|
a |
One of my favorite
characters in fiction is James P. Sullivan, from the
movie, Monsters, Inc. This loveable, big, blue,
hairy monster saves a young child, and at the same time
saves the “monster world” from a power shortage by
exploiting laughter rather than fear. |
|
q |
What is
your most distinctive characteristic? |
|
a |
A physical characteristic
that I've had for a long time is my gray hair. It all
started when my oldest daughter was born. There was a
photograph of me carrying her home from the hospital in
which my hair was (still) brown. When Amy was older she
looked at the photograph and asked, “Who is that man
holding me?” It seems she couldn't remember me without
gray hair. |
|
q |
Which
words or phrases do you overuse? |
|
a |
My younger daughter taught
me to say “cool” in response to some satisfying event.
Now, I fear that I use the phrase too much. So, to say
“cool” too much is really not very cool. |
|
q |
What is
your motto? |
| a |
“You shall know the truth,
and the truth shall set you free.” —
John 8:32.
I invest my time attempting to pour truth into my
students. Since they will be future engineers, it's
important that their designs be based on facts. Thus, I
present a strong emphasis on the laws of math and
physics. However, I also stress the “free” part of the
verse. The products an engineer creates must actually
work, but they must also be appealing. Engineers must be
as creative as much as anyone else. |
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