Richard is currently just the fourth Senior Engineer at GEA of Texas. Founded in 1969, GEA is one of the largest high-tech robotics and industrial automation providers and distributors in the United States. Previous to joining GEA in 2015, Richard became the VP of engineering at Universal Packaging Inc, at the age of 25 and served in that capacity for twelve years. As an Engineer, Richard has developed or played significant roles in developing over four-hundred original robotic and motion control solutions across public, private, and military sectors. Richard also sits on the board of VFF solutions and UPI Inc. Richard has served on engineering advisory councils for Omron Automation and Robotics, Yaskawa America, the Daikin Group, Kraft Foods, and Pepsi Co.

 

In 2006 Richard pioneered the first national food traceability program under a grant by the FDA and has long been a pioneer in the development of the Internet of things.  Having been involved in research since the age of sixteen, Richard has run six significant research projects, including graduate work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He also pioneered the Morality Algorithms used in large data collection and monitoring systems for governments. He is a regular guest lecturer at several Universities around the world, and since 2016 has been involved with the Energy and Manufacturing Institute in Houston, Texas. Currently, Richard is involved in research projects at MD Anderson Cancer Research Center and is pioneering research in crossing Quantum Information Theory and Artificial Intelligence.

 

On a personal level, Richard has long been involved with scouting, where he is co-chair of the BSA Sam Houston Area Councils Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Committee and also started the popular Science Fair at Scout Fair.  He married Robin Nelson in 2000; they have three children. Richard was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1975.  Richard lives nine months a year in Houston, Texas, and spends the summers in Nauvoo, Illinois.