About Me
My name is Deion Rivers. I’m an Aerospace/Mechanical Engineer with over five years of experience spanning high-volume product development and critical Department of Defense R&D. While my academic foundation stems from a lifelong fascination with flight and fluid dynamics, my professional journey has been defined by the practical challenge of bringing complex systems to life—exploring how simple components are made and how their advanced materials can be molded to get the job done.
I believe the most impactful engineering happens at the intersection of digital precision and physical reality, with both creativity and a keen attention to detail. Having managed the full product lifecycle—from initial CAD architecture to rigorous field testing—I specialize in developing hardware that is not only theoretically sound but is manufacturable and resilient. My expertise lies in Design for Excellence, with a deep emphasis on CAD modeling. I’m actively expanding my toolkit into material knowledge, as well as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to drive data-informed design decisions.
When I’m not optimizing assemblies or refining meshes, you’ll likely find me making music, on the game, or outdoors with my dog, Pongo. I bring a disciplined, rhythmic approach to my work, with an unshakeable patience and positive attitude.
Career
Currently, I’m working as a mechanical engineer at Texas Research International, a small research and development company specializing in Non-Destructive Evaluation, where I hold a Secret security clearance to manage projects under DoD contract. I aid in electro-mechanical design, the design and fabrication of mechanical fixtures, research, and testing.
Before that, I started my engineering career at 3M Scott Fire & Safety doing much of the same, aiding in the design and testing of products and accessories revolving around their flagship Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
Education
My interest in flight and technology led me to the University of Tennessee Knoxville where I pursued a degree in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Computer Aided Design. As a Volunteer, I’m always eager to help and a lifelong student.