Dr. Sheffield is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) where he has been a faculty member since 1980. He started his editorial duties with the International Association for Hydrogen Energy as the first Assistant Editor in 1978 and later as the first Associate Editor in 1984. He received his Bachelor of Engineering Science degree from University of Texas at Austin in 1971; his Master of Engineering Mechanics degree from North Carolina State University in 1973; and his Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Science & Mechanics from North Carolina State University in 1975. Prior to joining Missouri S&T, he served as a research fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, a senior analytical engineer in the Scientific Analysis Group and a senior experimental engineer in the Advanced Energy Group of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft at United Technologies Corp. More recently, he has served as Associate Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization - International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies in Istanbul, Turkey.

Dr. Sheffield has been very active with student hydrogen programs. For example, his pre-college summer camp "Hy-Tech 2004 Camp" gave young pre-college students an opportunity to learn about hydrogen technology and the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier through hands-on activities such as building and testing solar and hydrogen model cars, computer-based simulation and games, movies, science learning with UMR faculty and students. This camp was held June 14-18, 2004. The two age groups for the Hy-Tech Camp were 5th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade. Dr. Sheffield also served as an advisor to his university student design team that participated in the 1st Annual University Hydrogen Design Contest - HYDROGEN FUELING STATION in which the National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Department of Energy sought innovative and imaginative designs for the next-generation hydrogen fueling station. More recently his Missouri S&T Student Hydrogen Design Contest team was the Grand Prize Winner in 2008.

Currently Dr. Sheffield is the director of the "E³ Commons" at Missouri S&T which includes a hydrogen fueling station, a renewable energy power park (solar PV / wind / hydrogen fuel cell), the Missouri S&T EcoCAR Team hydrogen garage and a renewable energy transit depot.