Bio - Robert A. Bragg, Ph.D.
Robert Bragg has enjoyed over 45 years of creative fine woodworking and custom remodeling while completing a 35-year career with General Dynamics Corporation in engineering, program / operations management and quality leadership. Other employment included: overseas teaching assignments in industrial trades (manual arts: woodworking, metalworking and engineering) in Australia, teaching at the University of MD, College Park and an apprenticeship in wooden foundry patternmaking in PA.
Based on Robert Bragg’s background, education and chronic back issues, Robert has continued to feed his passion for creative woodworking by focusing on ergonomic furniture designs and by converting hardwood (primarily walnut and cherry) into extraordinary engineered pieces of functional art. Bragg’s design utilizes a cantilevered seat supported by a structurally efficient combination of lap joints and mortise tenon joints. Robert sees woodworking “as an adventure – to create original, functional art that unfolds the unique beauty of a log to make the tree live again so that others may enjoy it’s beauty and appreciate the strength, color, and finish.
Robert’s Key Design and Craftsmanship Achievements
• Researched, designed, and created engineering drawings for the US Patent Office for a wooden adjustable lumbar lounge chair and a cantilevered seated flexible backed all wood rocking chair
• Handcrafted a unique rocking chair entirely of wood, without using any mechanical fasteners, and engineered with a cantilever seat.
o Structurally efficient design is bonded together with complex lap joints and mortise tenon joints
o Original, ergonomic rocking chair with a supportive yet flexible lumbar region
o Presented this rocking chair design at MIT – Furniture Society Conference
o Chair named a finalist in 2021 Made In North Carolina awards
• Earned two patents for unique ergonomic chair designs
Robert’s latest design project also plays a part in history and of a personal nature. “In 2020, I lost my best friend – my father, the greatest musician I know. I wanted to find a way to honor him and my brother, whose musical influence greatly impacted me. I’ve finished a prototype music stand design, which I’m very excited about.”
o Robert has created two music stand designs that are sculptural and lend to his design aesthetic
As a woodworker, engineer and leader, Robert received a Bachelor of Science degree from Millersville University in Pennsylvania for Industrial Technology: a practical degree with emphasis on materials and processes including: woodworking, metalworking, electronics, composites and foundry patternmaking. After graduation, Robert expanded his practical training with formal engineering studies, graduate studies and numerous challenges in industry settings and universities. Robert has a Masters and PhD in Industrial Technology from the University of Maryland College Park.
