Professor Drost is a retired professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University. He received his B.S. in 1972, M.S. in 1973, and Ph.D. in 1985 from Oregon State University. His graduate research is mainly involving energy and chemical systems miniaturization as he is a pioneer in the field working through the Energy and Chemical Systems Miniaturization Initiative at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He is currently the associate director of business development at the Microproducts Breakthrough Institute, a signature research facility of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute.