My Personal Web Page - John F Gerling

Date of Birth:
March 5, 1956

Wife:
Sally (MS, RD, CDE at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group)

Daughters:
Amanda (1988), Melanie (1990)

Born and raised in California, I currently reside in Modesto, CA (USA)
in the same home my wife, Sally, and I bought in 1986. Daughters Amanda and Melanie both earned International Baccalaureate diplomas in high school before continuing their education at UC Irvine. Amanda is a recent graduate with a BS in Biological Sciences and is pursuing a career in Ophthalmology. Melanie, formerly a principal dancer with Central West Ballet, currently is dual majoring in mathematics and dance with a goal of teaching at a performing arts high school.

(L-R) Amanda, Sally and Melanie on the John Muir Trail overlooking Nevada Falls (Yosemite), May 2004

Education:
BS Mechanical Engineering, 1982, with distinction
San Diego State University

Current Position:
Founder and President, Gerling Applied Engineering, Inc.

Previous Positions:
Vice President/General Manager, ASTeX/Gerling Labs
Manager, Systems Division, Gerling Laboratories

Affiliations:
Microwave Working Group (Founding member, Treasurer)
AMPERE
International Microwave Power Institute (past Treasurer)
American Ceramic Society
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Sample Publications:
Microwave Clothes Drying
Microwave Equipment Safety
Waveguide Components and Configurations
Waveguide Power Measurement

Patents:
Compact Mw Clothes Dryer and Method
End of Cycle Detector for Mw Clothes Dryer
Clothes Drying Apparatus with Improved Tumbling Action

I owe my career to my father, John E Gerling, who managed to teach me a sense of responsibility no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.

A friend introduced me to road cycling in 2004 by inviting me to join him on the local Tour de Cure charity ride. I rode my 1960's vintage Schwinn Varsity in that event and was immediately hooked. Soon after that I bought a new road bike and in 2005 completed dozens of century (100 mile) and metric century (100 km) rides. Finally in 2006 I entered my first criterium bike race and have been competing ever since. Currently I am a co-founder and member of the Ciclistas del Valle Cycling Club (Fun Sport Bikes Cycling Team) and enjoy training in the gorgeous foothills of the Sierra motherlode.

Off the front at the 2007 Modesto Downtown Criterium (M35+ 4/5).

Throughout my life I maintained an active interest in music. I am currently the principal timpanist with the Modesto Junior College Community Orchestra. This association also leads to other performance opportunities, including stints as the pit orchestra percussionist for productions of Broadway musicals by the MJC Department of Theater and Dance.

24-instrument setup for Sondheim's "Into the Woods"

 Participating in school bands (concert, marching, etc.) was usually fun and always an easy A, but by far my fondest memories as a young musician are from marching in drum and bugle corps. Formerly a member of San Jose Rebels Drum and Bell (lyre) Corps and Knight Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps, I practiced my way up to playing the rudimental snare drum with the Concord Blue Devils and experienced the thrill of winning the DCI National Championships in 1976.

"The Wall" - 1976 Blue Devils championship snare line