Robert Cruickshank

About

Robert Cruickshank (born July 20, 1960) is an American mechanical and telecommunications engineer, writer, consultant and is the holder of several United States & International Letters patent.

Biography

Early life and education

Cruickshank was born in New Rochelle, New York to Robert and Denise Cruickshank and is the brother of Laura Cruickshank (architect), Suzanne Cruickshank (real estate broker), Kathleen Cruickshank (nurse), Denise Cruickshank (tutor), James Cruickshank (arborist and NYC park manager), Elizabeth Cruickshank (therapist).

As a youth, Cruickshank attained the rank of Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Cruickshank graduated from the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey in 1978. During his matriculation he was fortunate enough to have a mentor in John Sprout, an influential New Jersey Mathematics teacher.

Marriage and children

Robert Cruickshank met Laurie Asperas Valayer in 2009 and they married in Bermuda, November 2014. They are the parents of four children Mareva, Aidan, Rowan and Kiara.

Academic Career

Undergraduate

In 1979 Cruickshank matriculated to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in order to pursue a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

During his undergraduate years and under the auspices of Ryszard (Rich) J. Pryputniewicz, an esteemed scholar and academic of thermodynamics, efficiency, optical metrology and laser holography, Cruickshank designed 18 credit hours in alternate energy sciences and energy management.

As part of his self-designed and directed curriculum he designed, installed and maintained a solar photovoltaic off-the-grid power system and performed a meteorological energy survey of a wilderness area.

Cruickshank submitted and Worcester Polytechnic Institute accepted his major qualifying project "Renewable Energies, a guide for assessing site energy potential of wind, solar, hydro, biomass and forest products" as well as his interactive qualifying project, "Trading with Utilities, a guide for selling output from co-generating P.U.R.P.A. power plants". Upon their acceptance Cruickshank earned a bachelor of science degree with distinction in mechanical engineering in 1983.

Graduate

In 1983 Cruickshank was awarded a teaching assistantship working under Ryszard (Rich) J. Pryputniewicz.

As Ryszard's teacher's assistant, Cruickshank performed research and class work in engineering experimentation, instrumentation, data acquisition, heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, laser methods, fiber and free space coherent and non-coherent optical metrology, remote sensing and vision, computer modeling, and robotics. In addition to evaluating homework assignments and tutoring students, he managed procurement and projects to aid facility expansion from one to ten laboratories.

His thesis presentation, "Quantitative Mapping of High Temperature Fields through Fiber Optics." was accepted and he was conferred a Master of Science in 1985.

In 1990, Cruickshank was accepted as a doctoral candidate to the esteemed University of Colorado, Boulder campus (CU Boulder), to pursue a Ph.D in Computer Science and Civil Engineering.

Cruickshank remained ABD until his return in 2016 to complete his dissertation, "Optimal Real-time Distributed Control of Electric Power Generation and Utilization via a Ubiquitous Data Communications Infrastructure".

Postgraduate & Further Education

MIT Sloan Management Training: courses in Leadership, Team Building, Windows, Unix, Mac, Visualization, Helicopters, Motorcycles

Liaison with Colorado and Wyoming PUCs on telecommunications and energy demand side management, 1991-1993

N.A.T.O. Advanced Study Institute on Optical Metrology, Portugal 1983

Career

Military Service

In 1986, Cruickshank enlisted in and was attached to the Wyoming Air National Guard (WYANG), Cheyenne WY. In 1987, after completion of Officer Training School (OTS) at the Air National Guard, Academy of MIlitary Science at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, TN, Cruickshank was commissioned as a United States Air Force (USAF) Second Lieutenant. Upon commission, he was accepted to and completed Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) as a member of class 88-06 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and then attended follow-on Lockheed C-130H transition training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Foregoing the opportunity to achieve the rank of Major, Cruickshank elected to be honourably discharged from the USAF and WYANG in 1995 in order to complete his studies and develop the international standard cable modem (aka DOCSIS).

Military Awards

Air Force Training Ribbon
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR)
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award
Wyoming National Guard Service Ribbon

Career Highlights

US National Renewable Energy Lab, Golden CO, 2016 – Present, Visiting Researcher
Cablevision/Altice, Bethpage, NY, 2008 – 2011, 2013 – 2016, Operations Architect, SVP, VP
Rev2 Networks, Valhalla, NY, 2011 – 2012, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer
ARRIS Group, Inc., Atlanta, GA, 2007 – 2008, Vice President Operations & Business Support Strategies
C-COR, Inc., State College, PA, Beaverton, OR, 2004 – 2007, Vice President Market Strategy & Chief Architect
Stargus, Inc., Andover, MA, 2000 – 2004, Co-Founder, Member of Board of Directors
Road Runner High Speed Online, Herndon, VA, 1998 – 2000, Interim CTO and Vice President Engineering
Cable Television Laboratories, Louisville, CO, 1994 – 1998, 2016 – Present, VP and Department Head, PNM Technical Lead, PNM Advisor
Power Networks, Big Indian, NY, 1993 – Present, Founder and General Manager
United States Air Force, WYANG, Cheyenne WY, 1987 – 1995, Captain and Co-Pilot, C-130H
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 1994, 2016 – Present, Founder ATM Group, Telecom Lab, Research Assistant
CyberLYNX Gateway Corporation, Boulder, CO, 1991 – 1993, Vice President Energy Management
AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories, Denver, CO, 1985 – 1991, Member of Technical Staff