ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Dr. Terrance Dubreus has been lucky most of us his life, but more importantly, he has usually made wise choices. 

As a government physicist at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) and someone whose professional specialty is mathematical  modeling and computer simulations, he is well versed in probabilities. 

For instance, he knows what to expect when a ballistic missile's warhead encounters given atmospheric conditions like air pressure, temperature, ice crystals and other factors as it travels along a given trajectory. 

Furthermore, he knows how these things will probably effect the warhead and more importantly, why. 

Dr. Dubreus also knows from personal experience that, like science, life is often not so clearcut. He said where luck and a person's lot in life leaves off, it is primarily an individual's choices that will determine whether one succeeds, fails or settles for mediocrity. 

His father emigrated from Haiti to Miami. and before long met and married a woman whose family had immigrated to the area from the Bahamas. They both worked in the service sector, he as a laborer for the city and she as a maid for affluent families. 

"We weren't poor as far as where we lived, but it was still in what some would call a bad area of town," he said. "I would go to work with my parents and they worked for the affluent and I would see that side of living. 

At an early age I was able to put things into perspective." 

He saw how poor other Haitian immigrants in Miami were and how readily many accepted those limitations. "I knew we weren't poor, yet I knew we were far from being
wealthy. We had exactly what we needed to live a nice humble life." 

From this he knew his family was blessed in many ways. 

An only child, Dr. Dubreus didn't have to compete with other siblings for his parents attention. Having two stable, loving parents also made a difference. 

"I guess it had a lot to do with my father being there because I lived in an area where most homes were predominantly single (parent) family homes," he said. "I think I was like the only child in my neighborhood that had both their parents there." 

His mother, who had a  limited formal education herself, knew what was required for her son to excel. 

"She really couldn't help me with my homework as far as the complexity of it" he said, "but she knew how to stay on top of me when it came to school. 

"She would befriend my teachers and would always pop up randomly at my school. 

"She knew the times when I needed to focus and the teachers felt comfortable enough to call her when they knew that I needed some adjustment - because they knew she would actually do it." 

His father did what he could to help his Haitians neighbors who were new to the community. 

"My father is very giving," the young physicist said. "He would give before he would think about it, it would just happen." 

As a senior in high school, Dr. Dubreus was part of a magnet program in Miami called Academy for Tourism. 

"The main focus was steering students toward a career in tourism - since I lived in Miami that was a big deal," he said. "They were gearing me towards a career as a hotel manager." 

The magnet school program required the juniors to serve an internship related to the area of tourism they wanted to pursue. 

"I did an internship at Miami International Airport Hotel, and they moved me around to different departments the entire summer," he said. "Around the last week the hotel manager sat with all of the interns - interviewed  them. So, he talked to me and at that time I planned to major in accounting because I was good in math. I thought - it makes sense. " 

Dr. Dubreus said the man had some words of advice, some which took the high school student by surprise. 

"He said, 'I can just tell from talking to you Terrance, you are not going to be happy with accounting. If I were you I would really consider engineering.'" 

It was the summer before his senior year and Dr. Dubreus hadn't taken any physics courses. 

"I thought - engineering?, and I just kept it in the back of my mind," he recalled. "That was the year I took physics and that's when I fell in love with it. 

"Mr. Neil Starky, he blew my mind with physics, mainly because he was more focused on real world applications. He'd do experiments in the classroom and I understood it." 

Looking back, Dr. Dubreus said taking physics was one of his best decisions. A female classmate who was also good at math chose accounting like he had considered doing originally. 

"We would compete with each other all the time and she actually went into accounting," he said. "I talked to her not too long ago and she hates it. Every day she drives into work she is miserable - she cries sometimes." 

While pursuing his doctorate degree in computational engineering at Mississippi State, Dr. Dubreus went to a career fair during the fall he was hoping to graduate. He applied for work with several different universities and companies, including Lawrence Livermore Labs. 

"I bumped into a Palace Acquire program representative," he said. "I applied for the program and didn't really think much more about it." 

The Air Force's Palace Acquire Intern Program targets college graduates for a two to three-year training and development program (internship) in a wide range of disciplines, including engineering and physics. 

Dr Dubreus' doctoral dissertation was on Monte Carlo simulations for Small World Stochastic processes, a background he said is well-suited for AEDC's cutting-edge work. 

Ask him to explain his dissertation and it takes him a few minutes to do and your eyes may cross. 

The 31-year old physicist joined the work force at AEDC in June 2005. 

"I like AEDC," he said. "It seems more like a family environment as far as the employees who work here are concerned. What I like most is I was given the opportunity to do research even though this isn't a place where research is the main focus." 

To him, life is what you make of it and work is no exception. His job now is more focused on the administrative aspects of computer modeling and simulation, but he finds ways to stay engaged on the more "handson" projects that keeps scientists motivated. 

As a project manager with a technical background, he volunteered to evaluate Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program proposals. 

"I made a choice to make it interesting," he said. "An SBIR proposal, even though it is proprietary, gives you some sort of insight into different ways to solving one problem, and you are introduced to so many different types of technology and how to use them. 

"Up until now, everything that I've studied has been in a book. I would run a (computer) program to do simulations which gives insight, but to see a practical application in real life and see it coincide with the things you've learned in the book is more valuable. That is what I love most about working with the government. I believe working in private industry one is only exposed to the different types of technology within that given sector. Since I've been here there seems to be a broad spectrum of technology exposure that you won't find anywhere else. It's a very unique culture." 

His personal life continues to be blessed. A woman he dated during his undergraduate
years is now his wife. "Our very first date she stood me up, she claims not to remember but I do. She's lucky I wanted to date her badly enough to give her a second chance." 

They got married in June 2006. 

So, what does a physicist do in his spare time? 

"My interest at home is science fiction," he said. "I like sci fi shows, too. I am big into Star Trek and things like that." 

He also has what many might consider a more practical interest. 

"I'm into real estate, too," he said, explaining that he recently got his real estate license. "Yeah, I am interested in making some real estate investments - something to do on the side." 

But physics is still his first love. He reads books about famous physicists and the list of science fiction books he has read and reread - is long and includes authors like Isaac Asimov and Lawrence Krauss, who wrote "The Physics of Star Trek," among others. 

Dr. Dubreus is a soft-spoken, but large-framed man who has some advice for anyone willing to listen. 

"You don't necessarily need college to succeed, if you have a plan," he said. "It has to be a detailed plan though, not a dream." 

He values education, but realizes it doesn't have to include college. "I would especially promote learning communication and social skills. Making people laugh and being able to relax are also important." 

He is talking about himself as well when he compared himself to his best friend - they were best men in each other's wedding, too. 

"A good friend from college, we were frat brothers," he said. "In the time since we were in school, he got his bachelor's degree and he has a great job - his social skills took him a long way." 

His advice to any future children is the same, but he admitted having mixed feelings about his fraternity experiences. 

"You do some stupid things" he said. "But on the other hand, I met so many interesting people - and formed close bonds with many of them." 

Ultimately, he said everyone, including his children, must make their own choices and live with the consequences - something he learned from his mother. 

"If I have a son, I would have to let him figure it out himself - as far as joining a fraternity or what he wanted to be in life," he said. 

Dr. Dubreus knows from first-hand experience that the sky is not the limit.