Thomas I. Valdez has a diverse range of work experience in engineering and technology. Thomas is currently employed as a Principal Engineer at Plug Power, a position they have held since February 2022. Before that, Thomas worked at Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. as a Product Development Manager from September 2016 to February 2022. In this role, they managed the development of advanced chemical and electrochemical engineering systems, with a focus on hydrogen and oxygen generation and fuel cell technologies.
Prior to working at Teledyne, Thomas spent a significant portion of their career at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, holding the position of Sr. Member of Technical Staff from June 1991 to September 2016. During this time, they led the fuel cell group in developing advanced regenerative fuel cell systems and insitu-resource utilization technologies. Thomas also supported flight programs as a power system analyst. Thomas worked as the Chief Technology Officer at SEATREC from June 2013 to June 2016, where they provided technical input and direction for the launch of the company. Additionally, they served as an Adjunct Professor at the Cal Poly College of Engineering from September 2011 to October 2014.
Thomas I. Valdez has extensive experience in product development, technical leadership, and academia within the engineering and technology sectors.
Thomas obtained a MBA in Business Administration and Management with a focus on Data Analytics from Loyola University Maryland in 2020. Prior to this, they completed their PhD in Material Science from the University of Southern California in 2010. Before entering their doctoral program, Valdez earned a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree from UC Irvine in an unspecified field of study in 1997. Thomas I. also holds a Bachelor's degree from UC Irvine, which they completed in 1995.