Employee Spotlight: Brent Shumaker

AMS is proud to announce the 20-year anniversary of our Senior Engineering Manager Brent Shumaker. While Brent began his career at AMS as a software engineer, he is now responsible for leading the development of software applications for instrumentation and control system testing in nuclear power plants. As the Senior Engineering Manager, Brent admits to being involved in almost all aspects of AMS work, even while “trying my best to steer clear of EMC…I keep getting sucked back in.” He also still enjoys the rare occasion when he actually gets to code something. Brent has been awarded numerous patents, co-authored many articles and publications, and led various SBIR research projects. He is currently the principal investigator for a microreactor research project and wants to use this project as a way of increasing AMS’ capabilities in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

When asked about his most memorable experiences and achievements during his time at AMS, Brent provided a list that included:

1. Being a part of the only two software developers here at AMS when I started and releasing a bunch of AMS software every year. I looked a lot like Harry Potter back then.
2. Working with Sizewell to get OLM approved in the UK, and working on the CRS software. That was a lot of fun.
3. Going on my first plant trip with Mehrad to D.C. Cook and living to tell about it.
4. Going on my second international plant trip with Mehrad to Beznau, and HIM living to tell about it.
5. Becoming a father of two beautiful daughters.
6. Writing my first Phase I proposal which I started at 12 midnight in my breakfast room at my old house and getting it out by midnight the next day. Hash didn’t get to review it because he was out of town. We won it.
7. Writing the 2008 EPRI OLM Requirements report and Hash actually said it was Excellent. I couldn’t believe it. Still can’t.
8. Winning my first Phase 2 (OLM Phase 2) with Hash and Greg.
9. Making a figure in a final report that was SO terrible that Hash couldn’t stop laughing.
10. Going on a bunch of plant trips in the U.S. and around the world. Sizewell is probably my hands-down favourite place to go as everybody knows.
11. Recently getting the OLM topical report approved by the NRC was a great thing to be a part of.

Brent graduated from the University of Tennessee before completing his graduate work in Computer Science at the University of Texas–San Antonio. Prior to his work at AMS, Brent worked as a software engineer for the Guidance and Navigation Operations Divisions of Honeywell, Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, where he developed software for real-time embedded inertial navigation systems. Brent lives in Knoxville with his wife Sharon, whom he asserts, “is the smartest person I know (sorry Hash and Greg) and also the most beautiful by a long shot” as well as being “an awesome long-distance runner.” He has two daughters, Britton and Julia, as well as two golden doodles, JT and Snuggles.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BRENT SHUMAKER FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!