Leadership Team

Lee H. Pearson, Ph.D.

President

Dr. Lee Pearson has over 40 years of experience developing and applying ultrasonics and other NDE and sensor-based test and measurement methods. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in 1976 and a Ph.D. in physics from Utah State University, Logan, Utah, in 1982.

He has worked as an industrial scientist for the solid rocket motor manufacturers Hercules Aerospace Division, Thiokol Corporation, and ATK (now Orbital ATK). He has also held many positions including supervisor and staff scientist in nondestructive evaluation and sensor technology development at Thiokol/ATK Launch Systems in Utah, Chief Scientist/Product Design Manager at the ATK Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri, and Chief Scientist/R&D Engineers Manager at the ATK Aerospace Composite Structures Division in Utah. Dr. Pearson now owns and manages Box Elder Innovations, LLC, which was established in August of 2011 as a licensed business in the State of Utah.

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Dr. Pearson has supported and participated in research projects including development of ultrasonic methods for characterizing solid rocket motor bondlines, ultrasonic and eddy current techniques for damage and defect detection, and characterization in composite material structures. He has helped design and build ultrasonic/eddy current scanning systems for characterization of localized damage in composite structures. He has also helped with the development of ultrasonic and IR thermography techniques to detect debonds and delaminations in solid rocket motor cases and bondlines, ultrasonic methods for monitoring aging propellant and bondlines, and ultrasonic methods for monitoring physical changes in firing rocket motors. 

Dr. Pearson has specific experience in modeling and testing PVDF sensors, quartz crystal microbalances, ceramic piezoelectric sensors, fiber optics sensors, and other types of sensors embedded in layered media. He has developed advanced signal processing methods for increasing temporal and spatial resolution in waveform data sets obtained for imaging defects and material property variations. Finally, he has developed many computer programs for both forward and inverse theoretical models, data analysis, and data acquisition to support the development of a variety of physics-based measurement systems.

In addition to his many years of experience, Dr. Pearson has authored, co-authored, and presented numerous papers, including: “PEA System Modeling and Signal Processing for Measurement of Volume Charge Distributions in Thin Dielectric Films,” in collaboration with J. R. Dennison, E. W. Griffiths, and A. C. Pearson; “NDE Characterization of Aging Solid Rocket Propellant and Bondlines;”  "Ultrasonic Detection of In-Plane Properties of Composite Laminates," in collaboration with W.J. Murri, and D.S. Gardiner; “The Role of NDE in Service Life Prediction of Solid Rocket Propellant” in collaboration with T. E. Doyle, R. S. Hamilton, and I. L. Davis; and “Eddy Current Characterization of Carbon Fiber Integrity in Cloth and Composites” in collaboration with J. L. Shipley​.
 
For a short list of selected publications and conference presentations, click Lee Pearson Publications.

Erick Griffiths

Engineering Manager

Erick Griffiths earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biological engineering from Utah State University in 2007, followed by a Master of Science degree in the same field in 2009.

With a comprehensive background in research and engineering, Erick's expertise spans various domains, including biosensor development, bioreactor design, biofuel production, environmental engineering, and design engineering. He possesses hands-on proficiency in designing, constructing, and operating bioreactors to optimize algal growth and biofuel production. Erick has extensive experience in designing, constructing, and operating pulsed electroacoustic measurement systems and NDE scanning systems utilizing ultrasound and eddy current technology.

Erick's adeptness in laboratory work encompasses the operation of a diverse array of analytical instruments, such as the FTIR benchtop spectrometer, FTIR microscope, spectrophotometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, gas chromatograph, fluorescence microscope, bright-field microscope, atomic force microscope, benchtop centrifuge, and continuous flow centrifuge. Beyond traditional laboratory tools, Erick demonstrates skills in the operation of CNC end mills, CNC lathes, laser cutting and engraving, CNC plasma cutting, and 3D printing.



In his role as the primary design engineer at Box Elder Innovations, Erick plays a pivotal role in the design and development of systems. His responsibilities include overseeing the prototyping and construction of electro-mechanical controls and data acquisition systems. Erick brings expertise in Solidworks CAD design, LabVIEW-based software development, and manufacturing, contributing significantly to the innovative solutions at Box Elder Innovations.

Tony C. Pearson, Ph.D.

Research & Development Manager

Dr. Tony Pearson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Utah State University, Logan, Utah, in 2007 and a Ph.D. in physics from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in 2012.

As a research scientist, Tony has experience as a principle investigator with specialties in micro/nanofabrication techniques, thin films, carbon nanotube synthesis, process development, and nanoscale surface characterization.

Tony's current work involves development of techniques and procedures in advanced measurement systems including: pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) measurements, ultrasonic and eddy current NDE of materials, thin film polymer based piezoelectric sensor development, COMSOL Multiphysics for physics based simulations, programming and simulations using Python and LabVIEW, thermal and electron beam evaporation, spin coating, and electro and electroless plating.

Tony has published many articles in noted journals, such as Nano Letters and Nanotechnology, published five articles in conference proceedings, and has presented at 13 technical conferences such as MRS Meeting in both 2009 & 2012, Nanotech Conference and Expo 2012, and Foundations of Nanoscience 2011.
 
For a list of publications and conference presentations, click Tony Pearson Publications.