Jordan  Prax 
2316 Tarleton Dr
Charlottesvle, VA 22901-1827 United States
Mobile: 4343055607  - Ext:
Email: jordanprax@gmail.com
Work Experience:
Madison Automotive Apprentices
1070 Virginia Avenue
Harrisonburg, VA  22801 United States

05/2019 - 05/2021
Hours per week: 10
Automotive Engineering Intern
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I conducted restorations on components of vintage automobiles in collaboration with fellow interns and trained
professionals as well as on my own. I evaluated the project, strategized a work plan, and executed it in a
professional and innovative manner. Often new components were required in order to complete the restoration as
accurately as if it was right off the assembly line in 1969. I conducted research on search engines and contacted
potential suppliers for the necessary parts. In some situations, there were no replacement parts available or
within the defined budget. In these cases, I implemented the engineering design process that I learned and
applied in my engineering curriculum at JMU. Throughout this process, I kept running documentation of the
work I was doing in the company's Evernote application. I performed tasks in this way on eight long-term
restoration projects while working at Madison Automotive Apprentices.

One example of the work I conducted is on the company's Porsche 944 racecar. I was tasked to perform the
seemingly simple job of installing a throttle position sensor (TPS) and validate its completion with the
RaceStudio3 software. The challenge presented itself through the fact that the car already had a TPS attached to
the throttle body but it only reported binary values of open or closed when an analog signal was required to
make the information useful to the driver. Once I knew the constraints that defined the design space, I
brainstormed solutions that would solve the problem and deliver the desired function. My first iteration
consisted of a custom adapter that couples the sensor and the nut that secured the butterfly valve into the throttle
body. I designed a prototype of the adapter in SolidWorks and 3D printed the result. I tested the prototype, made
iterations, and moved onto the next component in the TPS mount assembly. The next component in the assembly
was the mount for the sensor. I evaluated the different possible mounting locations in the engine bay and choose
the nearest bolt to take advantage of the close mounting location. I first used a piece of paper to allow me to
rapidly prototype the mounting bracket and test the interconnections in the assembly. Once the paper prototype
was complete I created an engineering drawing, sourced steel as the material, and submitted them to the machine
shop for fabrication. I then assembled the 3D printed nut adapter and steel mounting bracket, allowing me to
make small adjustments to the bracket. Finally, I took nut stock and submitted it to the machine shop with the
engineering drawing of the nut adapter. The part was finished and I assembled the pieces. The sensor was
mounted, calibrated, and tested using the onboard aim system and RaceStudio3.
Supervisor: Cole Scrogham (15408105350)
Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes

Chegg
3990 Freedom Cir
Santa Clara, CA  95054 United States

01/2019 - 01/2021
Hours per week: 2
Tutor
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I tutored math and science students through an online and interactive platform.
Gingerich Outdoor Power Specialists
925 Harris St
Charlottesville, VA  22903 United States

05/2020 - 08/2020
Hours per week: 40
Small Engine Mechanic
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I was primarily responsible for completing service requests for commercial and residential chainsaws, trimmers,
leaf blowers, and other outdoor equipment. I reviewed the service request from the client, performed a standard
evaluation of the machine, and began diagnosing the issue. There were various ways I accomplished this but the
basis of the process relied on knowing the fundamentals of the machines and the physical laws that govern the
processes. For example, every internal combustion engine requires at least four components at the correct ratios
and values to run: oxygen, fuel, compression, and spark. Checking these four crucial components and their
delivery methods was a fundamental step in solving a no-start scenario. Once those four components were
determined to be functional the critical thinking and problem solving really began. One very simple but clear
example of this lies in one particular work order. The customer described a situation where their chainsaw would
bog down, overheat and stall when cutting their firewood. The customer wanted the carburetor replaced but if
that was not the issue just throw it away. Upon receiving the order I tested it and sure enough, it performed
exactly the way the customer described it. Instead of just replacing the carburetor, because I had a hunch it might
not be that, I determined the only problem was that the chain was dull. I sharpened the chain and called the
customer to share the good news. The reason I had this hunch is because every time I am solving a problem I
take a holistic approach, gathering the information and understanding the problem the best way I can, rather than
doing the easy thing.
Supervisor: Joe Gingerich (4342963249)
Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes

Facilities and Events - James Madison University

800 s Main st
Harrisonburg, VA  22807 United States

10/2018 - 11/2018
Hours per week: 10
Facilities and Events Employee
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I was not responsible for any specific tasks but rather odd jobs around JMU Campus. I collaborated with
students and professionals from various backgrounds to complete common goals such as working football
games, setting up events in the convocation center and painting lines on the football field.
Supervisor: Kent Wise (5405683629)
Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes

Staengl Engineering
1159 Crozet Avenue, Suite A
Crozet, VA  22932 United States

05/2018 - 08/2018
Hours per week: 40
Mechanical Engineering Intern
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I was responsible for inserting vents, ducts, updating labels, creating airflow schematics, placing diffusers,
intakes, and ERVS/VRFS in Revit. I modeled rooms, walls, windows, elevator shafts, and stairs using architect
drawings and line diagrams in Revit. I designed outside air exhaust, supply air, and return air ducts in a Revit
work plan. I designed systems in diamond system builder. I made lighting panel schedules, circuited lights, and
tracked mechanical equipment.
This job offered challenges in the form of quickly learning new software programs that I excelled in, but
ultimately I was not challenged as much as I wanted to be. I quickly learned the skills required to complete the
tasks at hand but the work readily became monotonous due to the lack of creativity and problem solving
required.
Supervisor: Andrew Wright (4342958105)
Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes

Charlottesville Department of Parks and Recreation

Charlottesville Parks and Recreation PO Box 911
Charlottesville, VA  22902 United States

03/2014 - 01/2018
Hours per week: 20
Lifeguard
Duties, Accomplishments and Related Skills:
I was responsible for pool safety and employed consistent conflict management.

During this job, I was required to actively scan my designated zone filled with patrons for hours on end, enforce
rules, resolve conflicts, perform water rescues, and administer first aid. I trained with a team of lifeguards to
perform saves and efficiently perform tasks under extreme pressure with ease and effectiveness.
Supervisor: Batton Algreatus (4349703567)
Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes

Education:
James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA United States
Bachelor's degree 5 /2021
GPA: 3.4 of a maximum 4
Credits Earned: 145 Semester Hours
Major: Engineering Minor: Math
Relevant Coursework, Licenses and Certifications:
Differential Equations Engineering Design Calculus
Physics Chemistry
Engineering Management Statics and Dynamics Linear Algebra
Engineering Design Materials and Mechanics Thermal Fluids
Systems Engineering
Automotive Engineering
Data to Decisions

Affiliations:
Madison Welders - Founder
Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO) - President and Founder
Society of Automotive Engineers - Member
American Welding Society - Member

References:
Name Employer Title Phone Email
Cole Scrogham (*) Madison Automotive Apprentices Owner 5408105350 cole.scrogham@gmail.com
Andrew Wright (*) Staengl Engineering 4342958105102 awright@staenglengineering.com
Robert Nagel (*) Capstone Advisor nagelrl@jmu.edu
Joe Gingerich (*) Gingerich Outdoor Power Specialists Owner (434) 296-3249 gingoutdoor@hotmail.com
(*) Indicates professional reference

Additional Information:
2-Year Capstone Project: Shell Eco-Marathon

The Shell Eco-marathon competition is a program that sets universities head to head in a global fuel efficiency
competition where students design, prototype, test, manufacture and drive a fuel efficient vehicle. My team was
tasked with creating a mathematical model that would serve two main purposes. The first is to inform a driving
strategy for the car on the race track. The second being a tool to inform design decision for the vehicle and allow
my team and future JMU teams to perform parametric design.

In the fall of 2019, my team and I set out defining the problem we wanted to solve. After talking with the senior
team, at the time, and experts in software and automotive engineering we came up with the following problem
statement: "The JMU Supermileage Team currently does not have a strategy to drive around the track nor the
platform to analyze the performance of the fuel-efficient vehicle." After defining the problem the team needed to
gather information relating to the project. We did this in multiple different ways but some of them were:
contacting the Sonoma raceway about track data, speaking with math model and structural experts, and finally
mentoring with the seniors on the team. This mentorship allowed me to learn the ins and outs of the design
decisions of the team that we inherited our vehicle from. This mentorship continued until the Covid-19
pandemic forced us all to go home after spring break. This unfortunate but necessary quarantine left my team
with a partially completed vehicle and no seniors to ask questions of. The scope of our project drastically
broadened and encompassed the design and fabrication of the physical vehicle as well as the mathematical
model. I was the lead designer for the drivetrain from engine to wheels and took on the responsibility of engine
trouble-shooter because of my experience at Gingerich Outdoor Power Specialists. I designed, prototyped,
implemented, and tested many components of the drivetrain assembly. I can provide much more in depth
descriptions and answer questions if there is interest.