Faculty Friday: Tom Bradley

Tom Bradley in his home office

Tom Bradley, professor and department head of Systems Engineering, came to CSU in 2008.

His research interests include topics where design, modeling, and environmental assessment intersect.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Orange County, California.  In towns that are called Mission Viejo and Irvine. 

What interested you about this research?

Lots of my research is applied to Energy Systems Engineering, so I do work on applying systems engineering and design methods to energy systems including biofuels, the electric grid, transportation systems, etc. 

I also continue to apply systems engineering to Aerospace and Automotive applications.  

I am really drawn to teaching and research in this space because I would very much like to contribute to the big efforts to improve technology towards the goals of sustainability and human well-being.  

What is a typical day like?

I really enjoy working with students, I meet with one or more of my students every day. 

A big part of my job is communication, so we do a lot of work on writing technical papers, writing proposals for new work, meeting with industry and government to ensure that our work is aligned with the needs near-term and long-term. 

As department head, my job is really to support the success of our students, faculty, and staff.  I try to make sure everyone is supported with the resources they need, I try to get roadblocks out of people’s way, I try to represent and build up the department’s and CSU’s collective vision for our contribution to society.  

Who inspires you?

Lots of people inspire me in different ways.  I really enjoy working with the students, they somehow keep the good ideas flowing.  There are dozens of people who have helped me in my personal life and career.

I learned lessons about the success that you can achieve in trusting others to do good work, in striving for excellence, in making investments in teams, etc. 

What do you do when you’re not working?

Not much, I am pretty boring.  I like to garden, but Colorado makes it hard.