PPI Expert Instructors and Faculty

PPI Instructors

Any educational program is only as good as the people who construct and deliver it. We have assembled the most effective, well-respected, and competent team of professional writers and instructors to create and deliver PPI, a Kaplan Company's content and instruction.

Andrea Alvarez Barrios, AIA NCARB LEED GA

Andrea is a dedicated Project Architect at MF Architecture in Austin, Texas, where she manages custom residential projects while prioritizing sustainable practices. With experience in multifamily housing, boutique retail, and high-end construction, she aims to bring thoughtful design solutions to each project. As a licensed architect in both Texas and Venezuela, Andrea is committed to research that advances accessibility and inclusiveness in architectural design, particularly for individuals with sensory disabilities. Her passion for material science and people-centric architecture significantly informs her design approach.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Architecture (Summa Cum Laude) from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a Master of Architecture from The University of Texas at Austin. Before graduating from Universidad Central de Venezuela, she completed a residency at Espacio 2A and gained valuable experience through internships at E-Studio FM and NORTE Constructions in Caracas. Her work has been featured in various publications, including AIA Austin’s Force Majeure and the UTSOA’s Design Excellence Exhibition.

Andrea's contributions to student leadership, scholarship, and design excellence have earned her multiple awards, highlighting her dedication to creating impactful and inclusive spaces.

Arthur Chianello, PE

Arthur Chianello, PE is a licensed professional engineer in both Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters degree in Civil Engineering. His current position is the Water Resources Manager for a large City in California with a population of over 380,000 people.
His current responsibilities include managing the domestic water system in addition to river surface water supplies and groundwater banking for later recovery and use. Mr. Chianello has practical engineering work experience ranging from aerospace design, structural engineering, managing daily operations of wastewater treatment plants, and currently managing a domestic water utility. In addition, Mr. Chianello is a certified wastewater treatment plant operator and a certified water distribution operator. Arthur is passionate about the engineering sciences and is excited to help others pass their FE and PE exams.

Bernard Bahaya, PhD, PE

Bernard Bahaya, PhD, PE holds a doctorate from the University of Toledo (2019), a master's degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (2014) and a bachelor's degree from Makerere University, Kampala in Uganda (2012). He works as an Engineering Specialist at STV Inc.

He passed his PE Civil-Water Resources and Environmental Engineering depth in October 2018 in the state of Texas. He is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. He enjoys teaching, learning, and listening to podcasts.

Bhaven Naik, PhD., PE

Bhaven Naik, PhD., is a registered professional engineer (Nebraska & Ohio), professional traffic operations engineer (PTOE), and registered road safety professional (RSP). Bhaven is a Civil Engineering faculty at Ohio University where his focus is in transportation/traffic engineering. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the fields of Civil, Transportation, and Construction Engineering and Management.

Bhaven has had working experience with federal and state funded research projects and has over the last 18+ years made significant contributions to the transportation systems engineering area through his research works. Beyond engineering, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, working on DIY construction projects, watching soccer (footie!), and worshipping God.

Let’s get ready for the PE exam with Bhaven!!

Bonnie de Lyons, PE

Bonnie de Lyons is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Oklahoma. She holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Electrical Engineering (2017) and Math Education (2009). She currently works in the protection and controls section of a large electric utility, specializing in substation network applications.

When she's not working her day job, Bonnie enjoys working with her husband on their "fixer upper" lake house, trying to create/maintain a pollinator friendly habitat in their yard, caring for their Blue Orchard Bees, activities with their dogs (agility, nosework, etc.), traveling, camping, cool-weather hiking, kayaking, attempting to catch fish, attending the occasional rock concert, and generally having way more interests than she has time.


Bonnie's favorite thing about teaching is the "aha moment," when something that had been difficult and unclear suddenly makes sense for someone, and they can go on to be successful with that newfound understanding. Bonnie's favorite thing about standardized tests is the confidence boost when you pass them. She got hooked on standardized tests as a teen. When her homeschool family moved from TX to WA State, she had to take the Iowa Basic Skills test. She'd always felt sure she must be behind her peers, but was amazed and highly motivated when she received back percentile scores in the upper 90s. The rest is history: SAT, ACT, the NALA paralegal certification exam, many CLEP tests (including the dread Chemistry CLEP), four separate Oklahoma educator certifications (6-12 math, 6-12 English, K-12 special education, K-12 English as a foreign language), the FE, and most recently, the PE. Here at PPI, she looks forward to helping fellow engineers prepare and experience success on their exam days, too.

David Connolly, PE

David Connolly, PE, is a licensed Mechanical Engineer in the state of Idaho. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Boise State University (BSU). During his undergraduate studies he had the opportunity to test experiments in NASA’s Weightless Wonder. He has 7 years of experience in the semiconductor industry at Micron Technology and has successfully delivered projects in international environments, including Japan and Taiwan.
His hobbies are centered around spending time outdoors fishing, backpacking, and camping. He also dedicates time to restoring classic automobiles on his small farm.

David Micnhimer, PE, SE

David Micnhimer, PE, SE is a licensed professional engineer in California, Virginia, and North Carolina. He has known that he wanted to be a structural engineer since elementary school. The past few years, he has worked at a steel bridge manufacturing company, designing over 150 different bridges, including trusses, modular bridges, and buried structures.

Previously, he worked as a consultant designing bridges, retaining walls, solar site foundations, substations, and a variety of other structures. He has conducted bridge inspections and site investigations as well. He is particularly interested in the complexities of seismic design, finite element analysis, and soil-structure interaction. You will see his projects in nearly every state in the United States.

He received his BS in Civil Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He successfully defended his Master’s Thesis in “Stochastic Modeling by Polynomial Chaos Expansions on the Long-Term Behavior of Concrete Beams with CFRP Composites.” He is expected to complete his MS in Structural Engineering soon with only one class remaining. While at Mines, he ran DII Cross Country and Track, racing events from the 1500m to the 10k. He also participated in ASCE, AGC, Civil Engineering Honor Society, and the Navigators.

He recently moved back to Colorado with his wife, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. In his free time, David likes to run long distances and is currently training for ultra-marathons. He likes to spend time with his wife hiking, playing disc golf, and exploring.

Meet Your Instructor »

Elena Badilla, PE, MCE

Elena Badilla, PE, MCE earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from California State University–Northridge (CSUN) and a Master of Civil Engineering from Norwich University. She currently works as a survey engineer on a 10-mile segmental bridge project in Hawai’i.

She has over six years of experience in construction engineering, surveying, hydrology and hydraulics, geometry control and site development for residential, commercial and public works projects. Elena holds a professional engineer license in the State of California.

Meet Your Instructor »

Erika Weber, PhD, PE, SE

Erika Weber recently passed the SE with an emphasis on buildings.  She has her PhD in structural engineering from the University of Utah.
Prior to completing her degree, she worked for several years as a structural engineer in Las Vegas, NV and Salt Lake City, UT.  After completing her PhD, she moved to North Carolina, where she spends her time teaching future structural engineers and running marathons.

Ernie Kim, PE, PhD

Upon graduation with a BSEE from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dr. Kim accepted a position as a contract Electrical Engineer at the Naval Ocean Systems Center at the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station in Hawaii.

After completing his MSEE studies, Dr. Kim took a position as an Electrical Engineer at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado responsible for precise measurement of optical fiber geometries and established the national optical fiber far-field and near-field measurement standard procedures and tests. He was awarded the certificate of achievement from the Department of Commerce for his work on establishing a fiber optic national standard.

Upon completion of his PhD studies, he joined Burroughs Corporation in San Diego as a Project Engineer developing fiber optic transmitters and receivers for an advanced local area network.

Dr. Kim left Burroughs Corporation to work at Ipitek Corporation in Carlsbad, California as the Manager of Electro-Optic Systems where he developed fiber optic Cable TV transmission systems.
Dr. Kim left Ipitek to teach at the University of San Diego and remains an active design engineer, including a sabbatical leave at Ascom Tech in Bern, Switzerland as a Senior Systems Engineer and Principal Radio Frequency Engineer at Lightwave Solutions, LLC developing advanced fiber optic Cable TV equipment for U.S and international markets.

Gregg Wagener, MS, PE

Gregg Wagener, MS, PE has taught several Electrical PE exam and FE exam review courses for PPI. Gregg has also worked for PPI on several writing and technical review projects for PE exam and FE exam products. Gregg has served as an electrical engineering and fundamentals advisor for PPI's online discussion forums. Gregg is a licensed electrical engineer in California.
He has worked as an electronics engineer for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, CA, performing in-service and development engineering for the Navy's air defense missiles and writing manuals for Navy personnel. He holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from the University of New Mexico and a master of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.

Guy Graening, PE

Guy Graening, PE has a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Stanford University and started his engineering career at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio as an Air Force officer conducting research and development on advanced windshields for fighter aircraft. He then obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Dayton with a focus on structural finite element analysis.

He began his environmental career as the Site Investigation Group Leader responsible for investigating contamination at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California. After leaving the Air Force, Guy worked at an air toxics laboratory helping with sales, marketing, and development of new methods for siloxanes analysis for waste to energy projects. He is currently a civil/environmental consultant for GHD, Inc. and serves as the Engineering Team Lead for the Contamination, Assessment and Remediation Group. He has conducted remediation projects at Superfund sites, landfills, dry cleaners, mines, burn dumps, off-shore oil/gas platforms and on-shore refineries, a decommissioned nuclear research facility, and during the demolition of the east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. He is a Professional Mechanical Engineer (CA) and a Professional Civil Engineer (CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, HI). On his time off, Guy likes to go rock climbing, mountain biking, caving, kayaking, canyoneering, and exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Click here to learn a fun fact about your instructor! »

James A. Mirabile, PE

James A. Mirabile, PE obtained his BSEE from Drexel University and a master’s degree in Administrative Science from the Johns Hopkins University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland. In his many years with Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, Mr. Mirabile has held various technical and leadership positions.

Mr. Mirabile is a senior member of IEEE, IEEE Industry Applications Society, IEEE Power and Energy Society, and IEEE Standards Association. He is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers. He is currently Northeast Vice Chair of NSPE’s Professional Engineers in Industry. He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Certified Energy Auditor (CEA), Certified in Power Quality (CPQ), and a LEED AP O+M.

Mr. Mirabile was named IEEE Power and Energy Society – Baltimore Chapter’s 2011 Outstanding Engineer.” He is the current President of Maryland Society of Professional Engineers. His term expires in July 2021.

Joshua Ogle, PE, SE

Joshua Ogle, PE, SE is ‘The Hipster Engineer’. He is more than your average engineer and tries to find ways to give back to the profession. With his passion for engineering, Josh started TheHipsterEngineer.com to be a resource for engineers as they prepare for their licensure exams, job search and career growth.

Josh has a broad range of experience. He is currently a licensed structural engineer and Project Manager for a premier structural engineering firm, Dunn Associates, Inc., located in Salt Lake City, Utah which specializes in building design. He has worked on numerous building projects that do not fit typical design standards and loves every minute of it.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from the University of California, Davis in Civil Engineering he went on to help open up a new office for his previous firm. While in Los Angeles, California he prepared for the PE exam. He passed the Civil PE Exam (Structural Depth) along with the California Specific Exams (Seismic and Surveying), and he wants you to pass too!

Beyond engineering, he enjoys spending time with his wife, his boy, and his pups. They are the things that keep him centered while working hard, studying hard and teaching hard! Get started with Josh on your exam prep now!!

Khalid Hachil, PE, MSEE, LEED AP BD+C

Khalid Hachil is a licensed professional engineer in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He graduated with his Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Farmingdale in 2016 and a Master’s degree with a Controls specialization from NYIT in 2019. He became certified as a LEED AP BD+C in 2017. His current position is as an Electrical Engineer in the largest multinational, multidiscipline Architecture & Engineering design and consulting firm.

Khalid was awarded the 2023 Long Island Business News 30 Under 30 Award, the 2024 Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Long Island’s Young Professional 30 Under 30 Award, 2024 Healthcare Hero Award, 2024 NSPE Emerging Leader, 2024 NYSSPE Young Engineer of the Year Award, 2024 LIBN Rising Star in Engineering Award, 2024 EC&M 30 Under 30 All Star Award, and 2025 NYIT Ingenium Rising Star Award. Khalid was also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, United States Green Building Council Long Island Chapter, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and American Council of Engineering Companies.

Khalid has engineering experience ranging from commercial buildings, high-rise buildings, LEED accredited buildings, railroad, schools, university campus, distribution centers, emergency service buildings, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, pharmaceutical, water districts, wastewater districts, federal, solar projects, EVSE projects, public parks projects, transportation projects, and buildings over 1,000,000 square feet. Khalid has completed projects across the country. He has published an article with Engineering.com in 2022 titled "How to Prepare for Your Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.” In 2023, he presented “The Benefits of Professional Licensure for Engineers.” In 2024, he published an article with Prosple titled “How to Break into Electrical Engineering as a Student,” recorded a podcast with EC&M titled “Meet the 2024 30 Under 30 Electrical All Stars,” and presented “Navigating the Engineering Licensure Process and Exam Day.”

In his free time, he loves traveling, reading nonfiction or educational books, watch international movies, and stand-up comedy. Khalid has met and taken pictures with Jackie Chan, Mike Tyson, Kevin Hart, Marvel’s Stan Lee, the Karate Kid Ralph Macchio, the Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank, professional boxer Amir Khan, 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, and 7-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. Khalid has trained with George St Pierre, Korean Zombie, Matt Sera, and Masakazu Imanari. He speaks 3 languages and would like to learn more. Khalid is passionate about engineering and he loves helping people achieve advancement in their respective fields. He is ready to use his experience from passing both the FE and PE on the new computer based test (CBT) format to help other engineers pass their exams.

Kunal Patel, PhD, PE

Dr. Kunal Patel, PhD, PE is an Environmental Engineer working for NJ State. He has 15 years of work experience in programs for water quality, stormwater, floodplain analysis, & teaching. Currently he is working as a project manager for engineering studies in co-ordination with FEMA and multiple engineering firms.
He has taught courses such as Environmental Engineering, Solid Waste Management, Fluid Mechanics, and Sustainable Engineering at several colleges as an Adjunct Professor. He received his doctoral degree from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University. He is a Professional Engineer licensed in New Jersey and a Certified Floodplain Manager. Kunal is excited to join PPI in its mission to help you pass your PE exam.

Kyrea Njuguna, PE

Kyrea Njuguna, P.E. is a licensed mechanical engineer in California, Texas and Washington, DC. He has over 20 years of international experience in Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Renewable Energy, Water Treatment and the Built Environment and is currently based both in the USA and France. He runs a small engineering services company, Blue Dot Engineering Inc., and for the past 2 years has been a consulting mechanical engineer at Technip Energies, Eras and Solvay on several industrial plant projects in India and France.

He was previously a senior mechanical engineer at BVRT, a wastewater treatment operator in Texas, developing operational and sustainability improvements. He was prior a project engineer at Suez for a wastewater treatment and sludge-to-energy (30 MW power generation) EPC project in Romania and at LAB (CNIM Group) for waste-to-energy (30 MW power generation, 20 MW equivalent heat generation) and biomass CHP (150 MW power generation, 415 MW equivalent heat generation) EPC projects in the United Kingdom and Denmark respectively.

He has also consulted USA-based start-ups in a wide variety of sectors throughout his career, most notably Seabound – on marine carbon capture technology scale-up, COI Energy - on commercial building energy software improvements, Emrgy - on modular hydropower technology scale-up, and Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG) on biogas and pico-hydropower pilot projects in the developing world.

His early career positions were on mechanical equipment design and build at KBR, Worley Parsons and SNC-Lavalin for gas treatment, LNG, refining and Gas-To-Liquids EPC projects around the world, and project management of power conversion equipment manufacturing at GE Power in France.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom (2001) and his master’s degree in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (2008).

Mahmoud Alzioud, PhD, PE

Mahmoud Alzioud, PhD, PE, is a licensed professional engineer in Civil Engineering/ Transportation Depth. Mahmoud has a Doctor of Philosophy PhD degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Akron, Ohio, a master’s degree in Transportation Engineering, a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Jordan.
For the last 2 years Mahmoud was the City Traffic Engineer of Pflugerville, he Assisted in the development and implementation of the City's capital improvement program and Master Transportation Plan, coordinating with the Public Works Operations staff as needed for field an installation of traffic control devices, prepares transportation project plans, specifications and cost estimates and necessary documents related to traffic. Prepared City ordinances, resolutions, City council items, request for qualifications RFQs, scores statement of qualifications SOQs, interlocal agreements with county ILA, local on system agreements LOSA with TxDOT. Provided transportation engineering related support to other City departments including but not limited to development of project scopes, cost estimates, acquisition of right-of-way, construction bidding, construction management, and project close out. Creating several chapters that were approved to be the City Engineering Design Manual. Mahmoud is an adaptable professional with 14+ years of experience and a proven knowledge of managing projects, computer aided engineering, and field performance. He is so passionate about the transportation engineering sciences and is excited to help others pass their FE and PE exams.

Mathew Sadoff, PE, NEBB TAB CP, CPMP

Mathew Sadoff, PE, NEBB TAB CP, CPMP is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of New York. He is a Certified Professional in Testing, Adjusting, & Balancing (TAB CP) with the NEBB organization. Also, he is a certified commissioning agent with ASHRAE as a Commissioning Process Management Professional (CPMP) and Associate Commissioning Professional (ACP) with the BCA.
Mr. Sadoff holds a B.E. in Marine-Mechanical Engineering and a 3rd Assistant Engineer’s License in Steam, Motor, and Gas Turbine Vessels from Suny Maritime College. He has experience in project management, commissioning, testing, adjusting, & balancing (TAB), sound testing, vibration testing, building envelope testing, HVAC testing, electrical testing, plumbing testing, fire protection testing, security testing, planning & design, codes and standards, special inspections, operations & maintenance, factory testing, system optimization, energy management and measurement & verification in the construction industry. Mr. Sadoff currently works as a Project Manager with Colliers International providing commissioning services to his clients in healthcare facilities, universities, schools, government, corporate facilities, and high end residential facilities. He is a member of ASHRAE, NEBB, and BCA and a corresponding member of the ASHRAE Testing, Adjusting, & Balancing Technical Committee.

Mohammad Abbasi, PhD, PE, SE, PMP

Mohammad Abbasi, PhD, PE, SE, PMP is an experienced Bridge Engineer with a Doctor of Philosophy- PhD in Civil Engineering focused on Structural Engineering from University of Nevada, Reno.

He has over ten years of combined industry and academic experience in Earthquake and Structural Engineering, in which he could gain a deep understanding of the bridge and building design standards like AASHTO LRFD, IBC, ASCE7, AISC and ACI. Mohammad has a comprehensive knowledge and proficiency in design and analysis of different types of complex bridges and earth retaining systems. He is also experienced in design and analysis of different types of steel, concrete, masonry, and timber structures.

During his MS and PhD, his research was focused specifically on analysis of complex highway bridges with different geometric configurations , through nonlinear finite element modeling.

One of his major research projects involved conducting quantitative and qualitative assessment of the seismic risk to California highway bridges.

He also developed time-dependent fragility functions for deteriorating reinforced concrete bridges with different levels of reinforcement corrosion in California. The results of his work have aided seismic retrofit prioritization, financial loss estimation, pre-earthquake planning and post-earthquake safety issues. He has published several peer-reviewed articles in the leading journals and conference proceedings. As a certified project management professional, he has strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively develop a healthy teamwork relationship. 

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, family and friends. He also enjoys hiking, biking, and watching movies.

Nebojsa Sebastijanovic, PE, PhD

Nebojsa Sebastijanovic, PE, PhD is a registered professional mechanical engineer in the state of California. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from McNeese State University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara.
He has experience in the analysis, design, and optimization of various aerospace, industrial, and commercial systems and components. Dr. Sebastijanovic is currently working as a Program Director and Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Milwaukee School of Engineering. He is a member of ASME, AIAA, NSPE, and ASEE.

Paul Anderson, MS, PE

Paul Anderson, MS, PE has tutored and lectured for college level courses in Physics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, and Heat Transfer. In graduate school, he was also a Teaching Assistant for upper division mechanical engineering courses in Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer.
Paul has over 20 years of experience as a mechanical engineer in the fields of nuclear power generation, semiconductor processing, inkjet printing, flow instrumentation, and environmental / NOx reduction. He holds a bachelor of science degree in nuclear engineering from Oregon State University and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering also from Oregon State University. Paul passed the Mechanical PE Thermal and Fluids Systems exam and is very familiar with the new exam specifications.

Quint Robinson, PE

Quint Robinson, PE obtained his Civil Engineering Bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Applied Mathematics Bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern State University. After graduating, he began work with a precast concrete manufacturer as a Project Engineer. 

Two years later, he transferred to the metal buildings industry as a Design Engineer at American Buildings Company, a part of the Nucor Buildings group, and has served in that role for over seven years. Quint hopes to lead the development of his team and those of the entire Nucor Buildings Group in the coming years. Until then, he works as a mentor to young engineers and takes every opportunity to help them grow. Quint has been a practicing PE since February of 2015 and is registered in Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida.

Quint has many hobbies, but his main passion is playing games with friends. He enjoys much of his time outside of work with his wife and two children. A teacher at heart who married an actual teacher, Quint is excited to pass along his knowledge to help others succeed.

Rafsan Rafi, PE

Rafsan Rafi, PE, is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.He earned his Master of Science from University of Arkansas in Construction Engineering & Management.
He has over 7 years of experience in the design and detailing of forming and shoring systems. Rafi currently works as the Regional Engineering Manager for a formwork company that designs and supplies temporary structures in commercial, industrial and infrastructure construction. He is an active member of ACI (American Concrete Institute). Rafi is passionate about structural and construction engineering and is working on getting his SE license.

Raymond M. Burynski, Jr., PE

Raymond M. Burynski, Jr., PE holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Applied Mechanics from Lehigh University. As a graduate student, he performed research related to corrosion fatigue of aerospace aluminum alloys. The results of this work were presented in an ASME publication on structural integrity of aging aircraft.
After graduation he was employed by a leading supplier of heavy industrial machinery, working within the organization’s various R&D and New Product Development groups. These positions took him to several locations across the globe as he designed and analyzed diverse equipment and processes. Since 2003 he has been an independent consultant and started Tripod Innovation. His practice areas include Machine Design, Finite Element Analysis, and New Product Development. He holds three patents and continues to work both as a practicing engineer and provider of engineering education.  Ray currently resides in upstate NY with his wife and three children. In addition to spending time with his family, Ray volunteers for a variety of youth programs and enjoys running, cooking, and the occasional pick-up soccer game.

Robert Norsworthy, PE

Robert Norsworthy, PE is a licensed Civil Structural Engineer who works as an Engineering and Project Manager at Integrated Metal Products in Lakeland, Florida. Also, he is the Principle Engineer at Absolute Design Management. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and has a wide background of experience in steel, aluminum, and stainless steel fabrication in the industrial, mechanical, and architectural industries.

His project work includes working through each stage of a design-build process. In the design process, he works with customers to establish the design concept, and manages and develops the engineering design with a team of drafters and engineers. He has also acted as a consulting onsite engineer for various high-profile structural installations while also providing construction engineering support.


Robert has spent most of his career in engineering training his team toward success in the engineering field. He is excited to come alongside PPI students as a resource and support in their journey toward licensure. Outside of engineering, he likes spending time with his family, fishing, hiking, and woodworking.

Robin Closs, PE, SE

Robin Closs, PE, SE has 15 years of experience as a structural engineer in designing and analyzing anything from pipes to multistory buildings in fields such as commercial, power, government, institutional, nuclear, industrial, and residential. She traveled to Long Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy as part of a Code Enforcement Disaster Assistance Response Team.
Her engineering knowledge in timber, concrete, steel, masonry, aluminum, and light gauge metal has helped her design new buildings, complete renovations and additions, demolish existing structures, produce mechanical platforms, and design appropriate repairs to roofs, walls, floors, and spillways. Ms. Closs is the president of The Engineering Society of Buffalo and currently creates, writes, and edits their monthly newsletter. She also regularly spends time tutoring and greatly enjoys assisting young minds to see the benefits of engineering. She has also acted as the principal coordinator for 80 person volunteer teams, judged inventions, and mentored winners of engineering city competitions. Ms. Closs graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering with a BS degree in Architectural Engineering with a Structural Specialty. She is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states, is a licensed structural engineer in Illinois, and is certified as a NCEES Model Law Structural Engineer.

Seina Soufiani, PE

Seina Soufiani, PE is a licensed Professional Engineer in California, Colorado, and Washington, DC. He is an instructor for the PE exam in Chemical Engineering. Currently at the California Public Utilities Commission, he advises Commissioners
appointed by the Governor of California on regulatory energy issues related to integrated resource planning, transmission planning, and interconnection planning to meet California’s clean energy goals.

Previously, Seina was the Chief Engineer at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, where he led and managed the agency’s Engineering Section and provided expert testimony and recommendations to Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Colorado. He has testified and worked on regulatory issues related to implementing Colorado’s clean energy goals, including beneficial electrification, demand-side management, clean heat planning, electric and natural gas rate cases, transportation electrification, energy storage, and certificates of public convenience and necessity. He also has worked at the Colorado Department of Transportation and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Seina holds a Master of Science in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a guitarist and enjoys music, reading, history, basketball, the beach, and playing with his dog. He lives in San Diego, CA.

Testimonials from past PPI PE Chemical students:
  • “I just found out today that I passed the PE exam! I couldn't have done without your help. Thank you so much for everything you've done. Your help has truly been invaluable and really helped to turn topics that I thought I would never understand into intuitive concepts for me.”
  • “I passed the PE exam! I can't thank you enough for all your help. By the time the actual exam came along, I felt very prepared and had very few problems where I wasn't confident in my answer.”
  • “Thank you for all you did with the class. If it weren’t for the class, passing wouldn’t have been possible.” 
  • “I really appreciated the problem-solving approach. You really helped me dial in my studying and feel comfortable during the actual exam. I passed!”
  • “Just got my results and I passed!!! Thanks so much for putting on a great course. Couldn’t have done it by myself.”
  • “I wanted to express my appreciation for taking the time once again. I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture and learned a lot about how to go about the exam and engineering concepts in general. Just got my results today and I passed!”

Simeng Li, Ph.D.

Simeng Li, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), with extensive teaching experience in environmental and water resources engineering (EWR). Recognized for his dedication to teaching excellence and student success, Dr. Li was named Cal Poly Pomona's Outstanding Faculty Advisor in 2024 and ASCE LA Section's Distinguished Professor in 2021. He has also earned the Provost's Teacher-Scholar recognition for the recent four consecutive years, a testament to his commitment to cutting-edge research and prolific scholarly publications in his areas of expertise.
Dr. Li holds a Ph.D. and M.Eng. in Civil Engineering from Florida State University (2016-2019) and a B.Eng. in Environmental Engineering from Ocean University of China (2008-2012). In October 2024, Dr. Li passed the PE Exam (EWR) on his first attempt. As your instructor, Dr. Li is enthusiastic about sharing his expertise and recent first-hand experience to help you successfully pass your PE Exam on your first try!

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