Five Questions Friday with Brian McElyea

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BrianMcElyea_Headshot Name: Brian McElyea

Title: Senior Mechanical Engineer at Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation.
Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE), a certified 8(a) Company and Small and Disadvantaged Business, supplies a wide range of services including programmatic support, systems engineering, product development, production systems support, rapid prototyping, and technology management solutions to the Department of Defense, government agencies, and commercial companies.

Editor/Blogger: CADFanatic.com

Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama

1.Why did you choose to do the work you do?
I was always interested in how things worked when I was growing up. And, living around "The Rocket City," I always dreamed of being involved in the aerospace industry. I started out in manufacturing, but I really wanted to be one of the ones who was doing the designing.

As for my blog, I have gleaned so much information from forums, blogs, sites, and other users that has been critically beneficial to my career. So, the main reason I started my blog was so that I could, in a small way, give back to the community.

2.What is your proudest career moment?
I would have to say that the proudest moment of my career thus far was seeing a project I worked on getting launched into space! Our team was under some close scrutiny and there were some hoping we would fail, but we performed flawlessly. It was very exciting and it gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

3.What goal inspires you most?
To be the best father that I can be to my girls, and to see them grow up and become successful in whatever they decide to do.

4.How has SolidWorks made a difference in your life?
Using SolidWorks has opened many doors for me, both professionally and personally. It has been a great tool for improving my engineering and design skill set.

Also, being a part of the SolidWorks community has introduced me to many interesting people. I have friends locally as well as across the country that I would not know if it hadn't been for my involvement with SolidWorks. These people are great sounding boards for bouncing ideas off of, or for asking for ideas when I run into engineering or design issues; and they're not too bad to just hang around with, either!

5.What do you do for fun?
I like to spend time with my girls, play on the computer, and I enjoy outdoor activities, such as snow skiing, swimming, and hiking.

Matthew West

SolidWorks alumnus. I like plate reverb, Rat pedals, Thai curry, New Weird fiction, my kids, Vespas, Jazzmasters, my wife & Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not necessarily in that order.