"It is better to light just one little candle than to curse the darkness." Please also visit my MySpace page to learn even more about me. Who is gearFX.com? My name is Ben and I am the person behind gearFX.com. Born in 1977, I have lived in several different places throughout my short life. Residences include Redondo Beach California, Okinawa Japan, Atlanta Georgia, Austin Texas, and Fairfax Virginia (just outside of Washington D.C.). Fairfax is where I grew up as a child and where I consider "home." A graduate of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJHSST), I learned at an early age how important it is to balance my right-brain artistic talents with the logical and reasoning capabilities of the left side. With a comprehensive program emphasizing the sciences, mathematics, and technology, Thomas Jefferson High School "serves students selected on the basis of aptitude and interest in the biological, physical, mathematical, and computer sciences and who intend to pursue college preparation in the sciences, engineering, or related fields." The school's title and mission are misleading because it offers an excellent, well-rounded education that includes the arts, humanities, and other social studies. The demanding curriculum did not stifle my artistic development, but actually helped equip me with even better faculties for expressing myself. I came away from TJHSST with a fond appreciation and understanding for the role of science, math, technology and engineering as interwoven, influential agents in society, history, arts, and human advancement. If you're ever at Thomas Jefferson High School, drop by Mr. Leaf or Mr. Gottschalk's classrooms and say hi. They are some of the most entertaining and enlightening of teachers, and they left a considerable imprint on my life. After briefly entertaining the thought of following in my grandfather's footsteps and becoming an architect, I discovered what I thought would be the most rewarding career for me: Industrial Design. I wanted to design cars and consumer electronic devices, and so I chose to study at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Altanta. Since the ID program is administered under the College of Architecture, I spent the first year studying the fine arts, mastering my techniques, and sharpening my eye for design alongside many aspiring architects. While I earned required credits in Calculus, History, and Physics, the ID program continued to expose me to the multi-disciplinary nature of the field. Part designer, part engineer, the Industrial Designer plays a critical role in a product's development, balancing functional and aesthetic requirements with marketing and manufacturing criteria. I also learned that a product's design must also respect the human being as a sensitive organism with physical limitations. Juxtaposed with this focus on the individual as the ultimate user, I learned that we must also respect our environment, which ultimately bears the burden of our work. Graduating at the top of my class with highest honors, I emerged from Georgia Tech with a BS in Industrial Design, a minor certificate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and a huge hangover. Simply put, I was burnt out from cramming my last 5 quarters worth of studies into 3 quarters so I could graduate early. I have many life-long friends and fond memories from Georgia Tech, but my academic studies (and the GT parking department) left a bad taste in my mouth - like when you were a kid and foolishly sucked on a battery for the first and last time. By the way, if you're registering for classes this semester at Tech, be sure to sign up for History of Architecture with Tony Rizzuto or any Design Materials and Processes class taught by David Craig or Wendell Wilson. Hands-down, these people know the most about their respective fields and are willing to share their knowledge with you. Mr. Barker also gets kudos for making physics interesting and Mr. Cannibis has been the last and best of my English and literature teachers. For anyone aspiring to be a product designer or engineer, I recommend Joseph Koncelik's Human Centered Design class (if it's not full). For state-of-the-art 3D modeling: Tim Purdy will show you what Alias Wavefront/Maya was really designed to do, and no one knows AutoCAD Mechanical Desktop better than his colleague Brian. I have applied my academic studies to various professional enterprises throughout my life, beginning first as a graphic artist for TRW. During my junior year at Georgia Tech, I worked at Dell Computer Corporation under their co-op program. Dell is a wonderful place, where the work and people are happy. It gave me valuable perspectives on the corporate and private side of the design industry, and I grew to love Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, Texas is too far from home, so after I graduated from college I settled down in Northern Virginia near my roots. I rejoined TRW and learned how to apply my design background to yet another new medium - the dynamic and exciting screen in your web browser. I am currently employed by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration as a web administrator, where I continue to design, develop, and manage several new websites. I believe that a person can be young only once, but can be immature forever. I am a humorous and playful person by nature, and this allows me to better focus my concentration and efforts on important and worthwhile activities while enjoying life in between those endeavors. I have been searching for the perfect job that balances creative challenges with fun applications of technology. While web design is currently fulfilling that need right now, I think the kid in me still dreams of designing cars. Or better yet, designing cars for computer games! I have to thank my parents for nurturing my abilities and training as I grew under their wings. They always kept scratch paper and pencils in the cabinet for my brother and I to doodle on, and they bought us Dr. Halo drawing software for our 286 PC, which opened our eyes to computers as digital mediums and tools that could be used for more than just word processing.