Background
Samuel Hord is an Arizona native with a knack for noise control.
While a student at Brigham Young University, he solved practical problems, including architectural modes, intelligibility metrics, jet noise analysis, traffic noise modeling, barrier insertion loss, and outdoor sound propagation. He investigated the reflection of sound off the ground as a research assistant for Kent Gee and Traci Neilsen. As a research assistant, he also helped develop an acoustical model for the sound field near a rocket engine, and he assisted in a full-scale shock wave experiment involving exploding balloons.
After graduating from BYU, Mr. Hord spent a summer in the Sound Research Group at Caterpillar, Inc. There he researched new acoustical technologies and their applications to Caterpillar machines, and he conducted experiments in the acoustical chambers at their Peoria, Illinois facility. His experience there included using industry standards to perform sound absorption, sound power, sound transmission loss, and insertion loss tests. The highlight of his experience there included assisting in the acoustical characterization a new motor grader cab.
Mr. Hord went to graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin. As a Longhorn, he spent countless hours in a cleanroom fabricating sensors for acoustic MEMS research under Neal Hall. He developed a fabrication process for three different sensors, including optical gratings, shear sensors, and CMUTs. For his master’s thesis, he modeled, characterized, and tested electrical and acoustical properties of ultrasonic transducers built using the fabrication platform he developed. He completed his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in December 2017.
After completing his degree at The University of Texas, Mr. Hord enrolled in two more acoustics classes and taught two sections of an undergraduate physics class before returning home to Arizona. He continues to indulge his passion for teaching as an adjunct faculty at Mesa Community College.
Mr. Hord’s work experience includes the following:
- Research Assistant for Neal Hall
- Engineer, Populus Group, Caterpillar, Inc
- Research Assistant for Kent Gee and Tracianne Neilsen
- For additional project info see Projects+News