James McKenna

James grew up in Ohio and built his first "robot" at age 6. It had wooden arms and legs, silver paint and a light bulb in its chest. But from there he was hooked!He went on to earn a bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from Purdue University. He's been fortunate enough to work with and lead a number of high-functioning engineering teams to conceptualize, design and build a variety of robotic and non-robotic systems. They have ranged from off-road robotic rovers and high-DOF robots to radars and laser ranging systems. He loves the fusion of mechanical design, electrical design and software.

He and his wife, Leann, enjoy travelling, skiing, making wine, and spoiling their rescue pup Denali. James also enjoys classic cars, running, and volunteering with seniors.