James W. Cofer

James W. Cofer, Jr., “Jim,” earned a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1969, and enjoyed a 42-year career in radar, satellite communications, and foreign missile threat analysis. He spent 28 years on the Georgia Tech research faculty and worked for Harris Corp. and Scientific Atlanta. He retired in 2005 as Associate Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) for this now one-billion-dollar enterprise and worked there as a retiree for another 10 years. His research experience prepared him to write this fictional novel which is based on current real-world political, economic, and military conditions. 

He began his career as an RF measurement technician in NASA’s Apollo Program in 1965. During the Vietnam War, he analyzed Russian surface-to-air missile systems at GTRI and contributed to the development of electronic countermeasures to protect American pilots. With Harris Corp. in Melbourne, Florida, he performed antenna design and managed classified spaceborne communications programs. He directed Scientific Atlanta’s SATCOM Antenna Division for five years. He has travelled abroad extensively including Russia and China. In 1999 and 2001, China sponsored his lecture tour to their universities and defense companies, where he developed a keen interest in Chinese culture and history. 

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he lived most of his life in Georgia, and now resides with his wife Joanne, in Birmingham, Alabama. They have a blended family of five children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. 

He holds one patent for a mortar-locating radar antenna and has authored over 50 technical reports and articles, numerous local history articles, and two books on family and local history. His books have received three awards. This fictional novel presents a story that he hopes never happens.