Bill caught the computer bug in 1962 when a pioneering class in computer programming was offered at his high school in Newton, MA. He learned the new FORTRAN programming language and ran his programs on an IBM 7094 scientific mainframe located at the MIT Computation Center in Cambridge. Along with his passion for computers, he also loved boats and airplanes. He attended MIT earning his BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. His thesis work was on the hydrodynamics of twin keel sailboats, forecasting the winged keel.

Bill was the principal designer of an experimental 26 foot Motor Rescue Boat built by the U.S. Coast Guard. This craft featured a planing forebody with a seaworthy rounded stern over a hydrofoil wing for dynamic support at speed. These were the early days of computer aided engineering and many design and development computer programs were created to support this and other efforts.

Seeking an opportunity to try out computer science full time, Bill embarked on a new career designing software and hardware for scientific laboratories. In 1982 a novel table top robotic system (the Zymate Robot) was introduced for use in research and product quality testing. These robotic systems were used to automate a wide variety of chemical and physical analyses. As the principal architect and developer of the robot operating system, Bill was pleased to participate in the NASA sponsored Robot Operated Materials Processing System (ROMPS) program.

While Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-64) was on orbit during September 1994, the ROMPS robot, controlled by the Zymate control system, was used to transport samples between storage racks and furnaces in a “Get-Away-Special” canister in the orbiter cargo bay. The purpose of this mission was to utilize the microgravity environment to develop commercially valuable methods of processing semiconductor materials. These materials were returned to earth for subsequent analysis by industrial and academic institutions.

On May 2, 1995, Bill was awarded the NASA Group Achievement Award for his contribution to the ROMPS team: “In recognition of outstanding initiative and superior technical ability in the design, assembly, fabrication, testing and flight of NASA’s first fully automated flight materials processing system.”

Bill earned his pilot’s license in 1987 and enjoys flights in his Cessna 172.