Christoph Leser

Christoph Leser is a Market Segment Manager at MTS Systems Corp. in Eden Prairie, Minn. Previous roles at MTS included Product Management (software and systems) and Application Engineering (ground vehicle and aerospace structures). His interest lies in the better integration of modeling and physical testing to further reduce cost and time in product development. Christoph earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany. He is an active member in SAE and ASTM committees.

Ali P. Gordon

Ali P. Gordon serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Central Florida. Just prior to joining UCF in 2006, he earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His principal research activities are focused on the development of continuum-level models to predict behavior and life of materials subjected to complex operating conditions. This research is particularly useful for structural integrity engineers seeking to develop service intervals for components subjected to extreme combined environments. In the classroom, his primary responsibilities are to instruct graduate and undergraduate curricula related to analytical and experimental mechanics of materials. Ali is an active member of ASME.