Meet William (Bill) C. Paske | Co-founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with William (Bill) C. Paske and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi William (Bill) C., can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“There are in fact two things, science and opinion; The former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.” – Hippocrates.

If an athlete staggers off the playing field or court, the coach and trainers need to determine the extent of any injuries that may cause additional harm if play were allowed to continue. You could offer an opinion as the extent of any injury, or you can collect measurements that provide facts that allow for an outcome-based evaluation about any possible injury. We all have opinions, always have. But we shouldn’t allow our opinions to superseded or replaced facts. We have built RedOak Instruments to develop equipment that can provide these much-needed objective data.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has not been a straight drive but has bounced a bit as situations arise. I was working on a nuclear physics project only to have the budget cuts of the early 70s shift me to molecular physics. I completed my PhD and began my career teaching in a university. Along the way, I met my wife who wanted to complete her medical degree. So I changed from universities to working in the oil field developing nuclear logging tools so we could afford medical school. When my wife, Dr Sheila K Gunn, MD went to work at the Texas Medical Center, I naturally followed her to Houston. This time changing to oil field measurement while drilling nuclear logging tools. The oil business being what it is, I soon had to find another field. This time, primarily due to the influence of my wife, I began dabbling in the medical instrumentation field. After several years as a instrumentation consultant, I developed some sensors of my own to measure fine motor control capabilities. Over the years, our research with these sensors has lead to the founding of ROI and our research into detecting the effects of concussions on athletes. What I have learned along the way is quite simply: Change happens! Roll with it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being a consummate nerd, I would take them to visit NASA and their delightful public displays. With several days to work with, we would check out Galveston’s wharf and shops. Visiting the Elisa is always fun. In the past, we would have visited Bernie’s Burger Bus. We’ll have to wait on that now with Covid-19. While in Galveston, we would have to visit Moody Gardens and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Then there is the great museum complex in Houston which takes several days even if you don’t visit them all.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to provide a shoutout to Dr Elizabeth A Smith, PhD, founder of the Community Medical Foundation for Patient Safety, a 501(c)(3) organization. She has provided inspiration, support and has been a delightful mentor as well. ROI would not be the company it is without her research support and encouragement.

Website: www.redoakinstruments.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/red-oak-instruments-llc-a99397105/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3BYIdHiKe7Rb%2BMeUdF6cSFAA%3D%3D
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwWK-ZXGtkyq0mTzaavoqg

Image Credits
All pictures taken by ROI staff