Matthew Thielen

Being driven to service at a young age, I began my professional life by pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at West Point.  Immediately after graduation, naturally, I entered the United States Army as a commissioned officer, choosing to serve in the Air Defense branch.  The Air Defense - described sufficiently by name alone - was, by my assessment, the most technical field among those that were ethical by nature.  Throughout my service, I was fortunate to hold many positions of increasing responsibility, from training for and deploying a Platoon to Afghanistan for Counter-Rocket Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) operations, to representing our greater organization as the primary operations officer and C-RAM advisor during my second deployment to Afghanistan.  The influential reach of my analyses and recommendations still astounds me and leaves me with a profound respect for data, the science executed in its name, and the organizational intricacies that drive stakeholders toward differing opinions.

As I look ahead, I am excited to extend the influence of scientific analysis, especially to organizations that strive to create a more tolerant, sustainable, and happy existence for all.