Rochester Engineering Society Honors Seven L3Harris Employees

Communication Systems

May 14, 2021 | 14 MINUTE Read

Founded in 1897, RES recognizes local engineers for outstanding community service. It also celebrates activities that promote engineering excellence and leadership in the Rochester area.

Richard J. Buckley, senior fellow from L3Harris Technologies, was selected as the 2020 Engineer of the Year.

Two L3Harris employees were honored as finalists for 2020 Kate Gleason Young Engineer of the Award:

Alexandra P. Bowen, lead electrical engineer
Heston E. Van Evera, specialist, systems engineering

Four additional L3Harris employees were selected as 2020 Engineers of Distinction:

John W. Nieto, senior fellow
James A. Norris, senior scientist, Waveform Development
Mark W. Thompson, senior scientist/senior fellow and lecturer, CET, Rochester Institute of Technology
Paul Voglewede, senior scientist

2020 RES ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Rich Buckley
Senior Fellow

Since first joining L3Harris Technologies 40 years ago, senior fellow within the company’s Communication Systems segment, Rich Buckley is fortunate to have contributed to numerous impactful projects during the span of his career as a radio systems architect.

Throughout his time at L3Harris, Buckley is particularly proud to work for an organization that services the Department of Defense, international military, police and firefighting communities by providing them with reliable radio communications needed to work under what can be very difficult situations.

One such product, the L3Harris Falcon® III AN/PRC-117G has truly been a “cradle-to-grave” project for Buckley. Since championing for the original concept in 2005, to operating as chief architect throughout development and then launching the product capable of adapting to new software-defined waveforms as needed throughout its lifecycle, Buckley was involved in it all.

“As chief architect, I was responsible for the product architecture trades, along with the detailed electrical and mechanical designs, which ultimately led to a successful high-volume production and satisfied customers,” said Buckley. “It was rewarding to lead a talented engineering team and also coordinate with other facets of the business. When we launched, complete with ‘future proof’ elements capable of adapting and changing to set the groundwork for a long-life product, it was particularly gratifying.”

Benefiting greatly from mentoring throughout his career, Buckley regularly finds opportunities to help other new engineers navigate their careers. He has been a member of the Rochester Institute of technology (RIT) Electrical Engineering Advisory Board since 2002 and most recently participated in a University Relations project with RIT investigating the use of photonics for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.

Buckley has participated in numerous University Relations projects, another being an “AI for RF” project where he worked with students on characterizing radio frequency (RF) signals in proximity to one of L3Harris’ radios, then optimizing radio performance accordingly.

Buckley holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the RIT. He also holds several pending and approved patents. Aside from spending a few years as vice president of engineering at Flightline Electronics in Victor, Buckley has worked for L3Harris his entire career.

When not at work, Buckley and his wife Ann have supported several refugees arriving to the Rochester area. They are expecting their first grandchild in June.

2020 RES KATE GLEASON YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR - FINALISTS

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Alexandra Bowen, Lead Electrical Engineer

A born leader with strong technical expertise since joining the company in 2011 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, Alexandra Bowen has quickly advanced within the Communication Systems segment of L3Harris Technologies, currently holding the position of lead electrical engineer.

Bowen began her career at L3Harris as a technical contributor to the multiband manpack radio, a foundational product within the company. She quickly moved from an individual contributor role designing low band power amplifier circuitry to leading fellow engineers establishing design verification and test criteria setups to ensure the product met required qualifications.

Having tremendous success in the role, Bowen then went on to lead a cross functional team comprised of hardware, mechanical and software engineers, interfacing with operations and product line management to improve the product yield on a new manpack radio being introduced into production. She then moved on to become the product launch manager for a new handheld product where she developed new methodology to track the levels goods and collaborated with the finance team to develop a standardized model for future products. Her efforts resulted in multi-million-dollar savings to the organization.

Currently, Bowen is participating in an internal three-year rotation program to gain experience in different areas of the business. She is also part of the company’s talent development program.

“One of the most significant skills I’ve developed is the importance of leading by influence,” said Bowen. “This is most beneficial when working within and leading cross-functional teams. Every day I work with tremendously smart people, each whom have different backgrounds and objectives. By taking the time to listen and understand my teammates’ individual perspectives, and ensure they feel ownership in the group’s success, we achieve far more.”

While employed full time, she continued her education at RIT, earning her master’s degree in electrical engineering — communications. Today, she remains connected to the school by mentoring future engineers by representing L3Harris in RIT’s campus brand manager program.

Bowen currently resides in Mendon with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Charlotte. The family is also expecting a baby boy this spring.

Heston E. Van Evera, Specialist, Systems Engineering

Transitioning from intern to employee within the Communication Systems segment of L3Harris Technologies, Heston Everett Van Evera, specialist, systems engineering, has assisted numerous global teams since joining the company full-time in 2017 following his graduation from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Soon after he started, Van Evera was deployed on an array of domestic and international projects for L3Harris including an assignment in Hawaii where he demonstrated high frequency (HF) global communications that enabled communications between the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, Rochester and Alaska. He also supported a trip to the United Arab Emirates where he helped with system acceptance testing and installed multiple vehicle radios for a customer.

In 2019, Van Evera was the technical lead for a shipboard system installation in South Korea. Through perseverance and a mix of technical and interpersonal communications skills, he was able to navigate several unexpected challenges during the trip, ultimately avoiding unwanted costs and delays for the customer.

“I’ve learned some important lessons early in my career. Communications skills are critical in addition to having solid technical knowledge for a successful project,” said Van Evera. “Patience and the capacity to keep a cool head have allowed my customers and I to focus on technical issues and not become frustrated by what cannot be changed. This is especially important when there is a language barrier.”

Currently, Van Evera works on a team devising methods for measuring the parameters of tactical radios to predict how they will perform in the presence of interfering signals and is currently leading a radio development program, including organizing efforts to collect antenna performance information on active aircraft, analyze the data and present customer-facing recommendations.

Van Evera also belongs to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Antennas and Propagation Society, organizing a lunchtime reading club for fellow members.

Outside of work, Van Evera is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where he assists with regular food and blood drives. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, he also became active in an outreach program to help local people who are isolated due to a lack of internet connectivity and has worked with his church to develop logistics allowing for safe in-person worship services.

In addition to his engineering degree, Van Evera has a bachelor’s degree in history from Brigham Young University.

2020 ENGINEERS OF DISTINCTION

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John Nieto, Senior Scientist and Senior Fellow

An internationally recognized expert in communication systems and waveforms, John Nieto, senior scientist and senior fellow with the Communication Systems segment of L3Harris Technologies joined the company in 1985.

His work for the past two decades has focused on the design, definition and implementation of communication systems for use in a variety of frequency bands, with a particular focus on the high frequency (HF) band. This is what most people think of when the term shortwave radio is used. It plays a key role in tactical communication systems, both by military and civilian aid organizations as it provides long-distance communications without the need for infrastructure equipment such as cellular towers or satellites.

Nieto has been involved in the design, definition and implementation of both the narrowband and wideband U.S. Military Standard high data rate waveforms for use on HF. In 2000, he worked with the U.S. Military Standard Technical Assistance Committee to develop new high data rate waveforms for use in narrowband HF channels, which went on to become a U.S. Military Standard and eventually a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Standardization Agreement (STANAG) waveform specification.

“Eight years after my work on the narrowband waveform standard, we began exploring even higher data rate wider bandwidth waveforms,” said Nieto. “My experience equipped me well to represent L3Harris, working with engineers from other companies and government agencies to further define military standards for higher data rate waveforms and promote interoperability. Much of the design was completed during a meeting in Rochester with myself and two other team members.”

L3Harris Rochester is now recognized as a worldwide leader in this technology.

Nieto is also the inventor and co-inventor of 72 patents, author and co-author of 67 technical papers and is a co-author of the ARTECH House textbook: “Third-Generation and Wideband HF Radio Communications.”

He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla and has completed post-graduate courses in adaptive signal processing at Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the High Frequency Industry Association (HFIA) and participates in many U.S. Military Standard Technical Advisory Committees and NATO Standardization Agreement development working groups.

Outside of work, Nieto enjoys music, movies, sports, travel and likes to keep up to date with the latest technology.

Jim Norris, Senior Scientist, Waveform Development

Currently responsible for leading the development of new spread spectrum waveform technology as a senior scientist for L3Harris Technologies’ Communication Systems segment, Jim Norris has been awarded or applied for more than 26 patents to date in the field of signal processing and communications theory.

Since joining L3Harris in 1995, Norris has been involved in numerous waveform development projects, most notably serving on a government and industry standards committee for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) representing the narrowband satellite communications integrated waveform (IW) team. Norris also created the requirements for this team’s advanced special communications modes (ASCM) waveform and served as design lead for an IW digital signal processing (DSP) modem implementation.

The IW and ASCM waveforms were initially created as prototypes to demonstrate feasibility and reduce time-to-market. Now, they are required in every multiband radio L3Harris ships to Department of Defense customers.

A dedicated advisor, Norris currently leads a 10-person team focused on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and software development of modems utilized in small form-factor radios. He facilitates the signal processing technology team, where he mentors others at L3Harris and recommends training and projects aimed at driving L3Harris growth in both communications and signal processing theory.

“Throughout my career I’ve grown and learned so much from mentors at L3Harris and the surrounding Rochester community,” said Norris. “Today, I encourage my team to always approach challenges from a collaborative standpoint and I enjoy being able to share my lessons learned and perspective with those just beginning their careers.”

Norris holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson College and an associate’s degree in electrical engineering from Hudson Valley Community College. He is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has published over 20 peer-reviewed research papers at the IEEE Military Communications Conference, IEEE Wireless Communications Conference and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).

An active member in his community, Norris is a sacristan and eucharistic minister at the Church of the Assumption in Fairport as well as a trainer at CrossFit Fairport. Previously he served as a scoutmaster and baseball coach in Fairport and was a member of the Greater Rochester Disk Association.

Norris resides in Fairport along with his wife Sheryl. He has four children, Danielle, Katie, James and Jennifer.

Mark Thompson, Senior Scientist and Senior Fellow

A strong advocate for continuing education, Mark Thompson is both a senior scientist and senior fellow with the Communication Systems segment of L3Harris Technologies and a lecturer in the College of Engineering Technology at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

At L3Harris, Thompson is responsible for radio frequency (RF) hardware and systems engineering on a wide array of products including advanced multi-channel handheld radio products. He also leads technical teams in the design of complex radio systems and supports all stages of the product lifecycle.

As a lecturer at RIT, Thompson teaches third- and fourth-year students about communications technologies, specifically transmission lines, digital signal processing and communications electronics.

“I’ve pursued several academic degrees throughout my career at L3Harris, finding that each opportunity changed my perspective on design and problem solving, ultimately helping advance my career,” said Thompson. “I’m fortunate that L3Harris has always supported continuous learning as part of career growth and I enjoy working with young engineers to help them understand the technology and learn techniques for testing and troubleshooting. Working with them keeps me energized.”

In addition to lecturing at RIT, Thompson has also taught at Monroe Community College and the University at Buffalo.

Joining L3Harris in 1982 as an entry level engineer, Thompson has been with the company for his entire career, other than a short hiatus when he worked for Times Fiber Communications. During his time at L3Harris, he has been awarded four patents for work on systems and circuits for wireless communications networks.

Outside of work and school, Thompson has continued his passion for education by volunteering as a tutor for Boost Tutors for Chronically Ill Children, an organization that helps grade school through high school students, who cannot attend school due to a chronic illness, by providing free tutoring services.

Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and applied statistics, both from RIT.

Mark and his late wife Dianne have two children. Their son is a chemist, and their daughter is a dietitian and diabetes educator.

Paul Voglewede, Senior Scientist

Paul Voglewede’s path to becoming a senior scientist for L3Harris Technologies’ Communication Systems segment began when he built his first AM radio at age 16.

When Voglewede started at L3Harris in 1995, his initial task was to help transition the company from analog radio platforms to the modern era of digital signal processing-based radios. One of the first digital waveforms he developed was AM, bringing him full circle back to his work as a teenager.

Today, one of Voglewede’s roles is leading an innovations project to develop cutting-edge frequency hopping for military applications. This work involves both the physical layer algorithm development and working with L3Harris radio frequency hardware designers and software developers to continually push the limits on what is possible with the technology. Voglewede is also involved in digital signal processing development involving a variety of algorithms related to military communications products.

“While much of my work focuses on the technical requirements as a developer, I also spend a lot of time considering the real-world conditions and specific needs of our customers,” said Voglewede. “To be a successful engineer, it’s so important to not lose sight of how our work will actually be used in the field and to regularly listen to customer feedback. It can be the most difficult part of the job, finding a balance to meet our customers’ expectations for performance, power, size and cost.”

Finding balance is also something Voglewede does when navigating work and home responsibilities. When not developing new waveforms, Voglewede is the lead electrical mentor for Greater Rochester Robotics, Team 340, for FIRST Robotics. Last year, Team 340 won the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus and the Ohio Valley Regional competitions.

Voglewede and his family also started a “Cans for Cancer” charity where they collect cans and use the money to support pediatric cancer patients, following his son’s successful bout with Leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. To date, they have raised thousands of dollars used to purchase refrigerators and other items for the pediatric cancer floor at the Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, Voglewede resides in North Chili, along with his wife, Dawn, and children, Evan, Alex and Emma.

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Rochester Engineering Society Honors Seven L3Harris Employees