Employee Spotlight – Eric Moog

This month’s Employee Spotlight features Eric Moog from the Hardware Development Team.

Read our Q and A below to find out more about him!

Q: What is your name and position?

A: Eric Moog – Senior Design Engineer

Q: How long have you been with Geoforce?

A: Since January of 2014, though I could swear it has only been a couple of weeks sometimes!

Q: Can you explain your job at Geoforce?

A: I work in our R&D office in Bozeman, Montana with our highly-talented and good-looking Hardware Development Team. We’re currently hard at work completing the design of the next generation of GTx satellite tracking devices, and my primary responsibility is for the electronics and RF design. I like using the analogy that if we were designing a car, I design the powertrain. Together with Brandon Taylor, our lead Mechanical Engineer and the Architect of the body, chassis, and suspension of the car, we design the full physical device, but it can’t do much on its own. In order for our car to win this race, we need the help of many more talented individuals. Through very close collaboration with Troy Lanes, our Hardware Development Manager, and Mack Wilz, our lead Firmware Designer, or driver of the car, and Dan Schwendtner, our lead Manufacturing Process and Test Fixture Engineer, or Automotive Plant, we develop bleeding-edge technology that brings real value to Geoforce and our customers. I’ve previously worked developing scientific instrumentation, and it’s been a terrific challenge to incorporate the stringent intrinsic safety requirements along with the performance and reliability demands that set Geoforce hardware apart. My favorite aspect of these unique requirements is that it allows me to wear a lot of hats! We’re always working to solve problems in clever and innovative ways; which can mean anything from building an array of precision temperature chambers out of Wal-Mart toaster ovens, to careful development of novel RF designs. There’s never a dull moment, and that’s just fine with me!

Q: What do your hobbies include?

A: I’m afraid I have a bad habit of being unable to say ‘no’ to a project. As a result, I have a lot of irons in the fire that help keep me out of trouble in my spare clock-cycles. A memorable one is that for the past few years I’ve volunteered as an Industry Adviser for the Montana State University-Bozeman Electrical and Computer Engineering Department’s Senior Design class (one of these projects was sponsored by Geoforce!). It’s been a great teaching/learning experience and chance to keep in contact with my alma mater (remember to keep in touch with friends who have neat tools!) I also volunteer at the Children’s Museum of Bozeman in their burgeoning STEM Lab. This awesome Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math-oriented extracurricular classroom is a great resource for area kids who are interested in STEM, but don’t have much opportunity for exposure in their school and home lives. I mostly contribute to the 3D-Printing area of the lab in the form of a-few-night classes for small groups and one-on-one tutoring. It’s really great to see kids start to imagine the possibilities of printing any object they can imagine!

Q: If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

A: I would have to say that I would certainly appreciate being able to see more of the electromagnetic spectrum. 400-700nm is nice and all, but I sure wouldn’t mind being able to look into the distance and see my favorite song playing on an AM station over the horizon, or being able to spot a hot component on a circuit board I’m developing without having to resort to prodding around with my fingers.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Geoforce?

A: That’s an easy one. The people! I can honestly say I’ve never worked with such a great team. Geoforce has built a great foundation on its world-class employees. In doing so, it has also made for a terrific place to work!