Mentors / Advisers / Parents

 

Gerardo Perla

LA High Math and Science Teacher

            Director 2013

Evelyn Torres, LA High STeM Coordinator and Counselor

            Adviser 2013 – Present

Dante Madali

LA High Computer Science Teacher

            Adviser 2013
            Director 2014

Joan  Galeon

LA HIGH Science Teacher
Adviser 2013 – Present

Steve Moy, LA High History Teacher

            Adviser 2013 – Present

Gilberto Sosa, LA High Computer Science Teacher

            Advisor 2013 – Present

Gordon Gerson

Gordon Gerson is an alumnus of Los Angeles Senior High School, class of summer 1954. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from Yale on a full scholarship. He also earned a Master of Science from UCLA and Master of Business Administration from Stanford. He completed course requirements for a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford.

Mr. Gerson worked for Hughes Aircraft Co. from 1961 to 1989. He performed circuit and subsystem design on early communication satellites, including SYNCOM, an experimental communication satellite and the world’s first geosynchronous satellite. This successful demonstration settled the debate on the best orbit for communication satellites and enabled Hughes to become the world leader in this field. Mr. Gerson also worked on guidance systems for tactical missiles specializing in electro-optical seekers and image processing. When President Reagan created the Strategic Defense Initiative (missile defense program aka “Star Wars”) Mr. Gerson worked on numerous programs involving the design of space based interceptors to defend against ballistic missiles.

Mr. Gerson worked for TRW Space & Defense from 1990 to 2008. The company was acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002. Here he continued working on missile defense programs. He also worked on the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL), a ground based system to defend against short range rockets, artillery, and mortars. On THEL he created system models for generating design requirements and calculating system performance. He also participated in very successful testing of the prototype at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. He then performed system engineering for the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) in which two satellites were developed, built, launched, and successfully tested in space. STSS was designed to provide the very difficult midcourse tracking of incoming missiles and provide tracking data for their negation. He completed his employment by consulting on STSS until 2010.

Mr. Gerson has enjoyed being a mentor for LAHS students in various competitions including MESA National Engineering Design Challenge, JPL Invention Challenge, and FIRST Robotics. He has enjoyed meeting and working with the students and looks forward to continued participation.