SPORT FRAZIER
NDT Technical Specialist, Marmon Rail
CHARLOTTE, NC
HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME
INVOLVED IN NDT?
A friend told me about it. I was
just starting at Central Piedmont
Community College [CPCC] and
didn’t really know what I wanted
to do. But once I heard about
the program, it seemed perfect
for me. The format was all theory
one day, then the next day was
hands-on. Getting some hands-on
experience using the equipment
and inspecting materials really
excited me.
AFTER FINISHING THE PROGRAM
AT CPCC, WHAT FURTHER
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
DID YOU PURSUE?
After community college, I started
working with Hussein Sadek, a
Past President of ASNT. I did a
little of everything—mag particle
[MT], penetrant, visual [VT], eddy
current [ECT], and ACFM [alter-
nating current field measurement].
While working with Hussein, I
earned my bachelor’s degree in
industrial technology with a minor
in industrial engineering from East
Carolina University.
I worked in project manage-
ment for a while, then returned to
NDT and started at Marmon Rail.
There, I’ve completed my Level III
certifications in VT, MT, and ET
[electromagnetic testing]. I also
have a PCN Level II in UT
[ultrasonic testing] and ACFM.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
I’m helping set up an ACFM
program at Marmon Rail for tank
cars. I review ACFM reports daily
to make sure their data and infor-
mation are correct and answer
any technical questions from my
Level IIs. With the ACFM units
we use, I can remotely collabo-
rate, watching technicians as they
inspect. I also train technicians in
our shop or at a tech center in
Houston.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR
INVOLVEMENT WITH ASNT?
I recently joined the “Faces
of NDT” program and love it.
I’m going to ASNT’s Hill Day in
Washington, DC, to talk to legis-
lators about NDT. A lot of people
don’t know about NDT, so getting
to talk about it is a cool part of
being a Face of NDT. This past
year, I also received the Lou
DiValerio Technician of the Year
award—that was pretty awesome.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN
YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN
YOUR NDT CAREER SO FAR?
The biggest challenge is making
sure you’re doing your job ethi-
cally. You don’t want anybody
to influence your decisions. And
I think that happens to a lot of
people in our industry—everybody
wants everything to be approved
and signed off on by the techni-
cian, but you have to be able to
say no, to make sure you’re doing
stuff ethically.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE
INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN NDT?
In this industry, you can make
good money, and I think a lot of
people are looking to make great
money as soon as they get out of
community college. But somebody
told me, think about the education
and the training that you need.
When I came out of community
college, I had multiple offers to
go to different places. I ended
up choosing a job where I got a
lot more experience than I would
have if I’d picked the place offering
me more money. So, I would tell
anybody coming into this industry,
don’t always look for the money.
Sometimes the experience will
help you get further than looking
for the money right away.
SCOPE
|
ATWORK
90
M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • A P R I L 2 0 2 5
NDT Technical Specialist, Marmon Rail
CHARLOTTE, NC
HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME
INVOLVED IN NDT?
A friend told me about it. I was
just starting at Central Piedmont
Community College [CPCC] and
didn’t really know what I wanted
to do. But once I heard about
the program, it seemed perfect
for me. The format was all theory
one day, then the next day was
hands-on. Getting some hands-on
experience using the equipment
and inspecting materials really
excited me.
AFTER FINISHING THE PROGRAM
AT CPCC, WHAT FURTHER
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
DID YOU PURSUE?
After community college, I started
working with Hussein Sadek, a
Past President of ASNT. I did a
little of everything—mag particle
[MT], penetrant, visual [VT], eddy
current [ECT], and ACFM [alter-
nating current field measurement].
While working with Hussein, I
earned my bachelor’s degree in
industrial technology with a minor
in industrial engineering from East
Carolina University.
I worked in project manage-
ment for a while, then returned to
NDT and started at Marmon Rail.
There, I’ve completed my Level III
certifications in VT, MT, and ET
[electromagnetic testing]. I also
have a PCN Level II in UT
[ultrasonic testing] and ACFM.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
I’m helping set up an ACFM
program at Marmon Rail for tank
cars. I review ACFM reports daily
to make sure their data and infor-
mation are correct and answer
any technical questions from my
Level IIs. With the ACFM units
we use, I can remotely collabo-
rate, watching technicians as they
inspect. I also train technicians in
our shop or at a tech center in
Houston.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR
INVOLVEMENT WITH ASNT?
I recently joined the “Faces
of NDT” program and love it.
I’m going to ASNT’s Hill Day in
Washington, DC, to talk to legis-
lators about NDT. A lot of people
don’t know about NDT, so getting
to talk about it is a cool part of
being a Face of NDT. This past
year, I also received the Lou
DiValerio Technician of the Year
award—that was pretty awesome.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN
YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN
YOUR NDT CAREER SO FAR?
The biggest challenge is making
sure you’re doing your job ethi-
cally. You don’t want anybody
to influence your decisions. And
I think that happens to a lot of
people in our industry—everybody
wants everything to be approved
and signed off on by the techni-
cian, but you have to be able to
say no, to make sure you’re doing
stuff ethically.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE
INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN NDT?
In this industry, you can make
good money, and I think a lot of
people are looking to make great
money as soon as they get out of
community college. But somebody
told me, think about the education
and the training that you need.
When I came out of community
college, I had multiple offers to
go to different places. I ended
up choosing a job where I got a
lot more experience than I would
have if I’d picked the place offering
me more money. So, I would tell
anybody coming into this industry,
don’t always look for the money.
Sometimes the experience will
help you get further than looking
for the money right away.
SCOPE
|
ATWORK
90
M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • A P R I L 2 0 2 5
