Mechanical Engineering alumnus, Theodore (Ted) Blackmon, has been selected to receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Prominent young alumni are nominated by an academic college for the Alumni Achievement Award to recognize their extraordinary professional accomplishments in the field. Blackmon has been invited to return to campus on April 8, 2005, to receive his award and share his expertise with students, faculty, and administrators.

Blackmon has a unique combination of entrepreneurial skills and technology expertise. He is an expert in distributed computing, 3D visualization, and software integration architectures for real-time applications. Blackmon founded Reality Capture Technologies, a leader of construction and O&M simulation software solutions to the process plant industry. His company provides state-of-the-art 4D visualization-simulation solutions for plan construction through its Virtual Plant Model integration platform, the ConstructSim™ application for work packaging, and the OpSim™ modules for training, procedure development and pipe inspection. In December 2003 Reality Capture Technologies merged with Common Point Technologies to form Common Point, Inc. (http://www.commonpointinc.com/). Their products provide a virtual model of facilities that saves time, reduces costs, and creates a safer work environment. Companies who have used Common Pointe’s services include such high profile companies as Walt Disney’s Paradise Pier at Disney’s California Adventure, Shell, Rohm & Haas, Exxon, Genetech, Port of Miami, BP, and the United States Coast Guard.

Prior to founding Reality Capture Technologies, Blackmon was employed at the NASA Ames Research Center, where he led the development of several mission-critical applications, including software used for the Mars Pathfinder mission and the Chernobyl remediation effort. Prior to joining NASA, Blackmon successfully operated a technology consulting business focused on providing integration and visualization software solutions for large engineering and construction firms.

The impact on his future professional career began at Penn State where Blackmon received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 1992. Following graduation, he went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of California-Berkeley. He completed his thesis on the experimental investigation of human neurological control of hand, arm, and eye movements, while interacting in virtual environments.