Jay earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

He served as a maintenance officer at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, DE managing personnel and equipment to maintain C-5 Galaxy aircraft. His second duty assignment took him to Edwards Air Force Base near Lancaster, CA where he was a Flight Test Engineer. He planned and performed aerial refueling testing on tanker and receiver aircraft including the F-22 Raptor, MV-22 Osprey, and X-35A and X-35B Joint Strike Fighter contenders.

After five years of service, Jay returned to Graduate school, studying Robotics in the Mechanical Engineering program at Northwestern University. His research focused on non-prehensile manipulation and motion planning for assembly. Upon completing his dissertation and receiving his Ph. D., Jay took a job as assistant professor of engineering at Union University in Jackson, TN.

Jay has taught mechanical and general engineering courses for the past 15+ years including statics, dynamics, controls, materials science, mechanics of materials, and experimental methods. He has led students on a number of senior design projects with industry partners and humanitarian organizations. He holds a Professional Engineer License in the state of Tennessee. His favorite color is purple.