Education

• BS, ECE - Tennessee Tech 
• MS, ECE - University of Alabama, Huntsville 
• PhD, ECE - University of Tennessee, Knoxville 

John Francis Wade is a practicing electrical engineer with over thirty-five years of experience. He has been a Registered Professional Engineer since 1992. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and an affiliate member of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. 

During 13 years at a small software and systems integration firm, Dr. Wade was technical lead in creation of a new business unit serving public and municipal utilities SCADA instrumentation and telemetry needs, and was UL 508A/698A standards enforcement officer for the firm’s design and fabrication group. 

Wade was a member of the International Space Station Ground Operations team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and later was ARES First Stage Operations liaison. 

Wade was Electrical and Instrumentation group lead at BWXT Nuclear Fuel Services. His responsibilities included workplace electrical safety, arc flash hazard analysis and procedures implementing NFPA 70E. In his Advisory engineer capacity, Wade provided technical oversight for junior engineers, designers, automation specialists, contract staff, and engineer interns. 

Currently, Wade supports capital construction and major renovation projects with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Modernization Division. He coordinates between engineering team members and contractor / craft personnel. Wade also performs design and provides implementation assistance for internal, small projects. 

Wade is the author or co-author of several industry papers on arc flash experimental work and investigations; telemetry, controls, and operations; and author of the first editions of the NASA ISS Crew Procedure Authoring Tool training manual. 

Wade holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering - Fire Protection. He is an Eagle Scout, and a recipient of the ARES 1-X Mission Manager's Flight Commendation and NASA Letter of Commendation for International Partner Training. 

Wade is an avid Amateur Radio operator, SCUBA diver, and plays classical guitar. He currently resides in east Tennessee with his wife Shawna. 

• Arc flash in industrial power distribution equipment
• Physics of arc-induced explosions and metal-contaminated plasma