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CURRENT STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS

  • Bhargavi "Manu" Nimmala | (website) | Engineering Mechanics | PhD student, started 2019

    • Research Interests:
    Lagrangian stochastic modeling
    Pollen transport
    Atmospheric transport
    Data science & machine-learning techniques


  • Albert Jarvis | (website) | Engineering Mechanics | PhD student, started 2019

    • Research Interests:
    Dynamical systems theory
    Lagrangian fluid transport modeling
    Geometric and probabilistic methods for phase space transport


  • Mohamed Zakaria | (website) | Aerospace Engineering | PhD student, started 2021

    • Research Interests:
    Aerodynamics, Glider Stability
    System Identification
    Tail-Assisted Animal Gliders


  • Anjali Rawat | (website) | Aerospace Engineering | PhD student, started 2023

    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics
    Restricted-Three Body Problem
    Trajectory Design


  • Abdullah Braik | (website) | MS 2023, Aerospace Engineering | PhD student, starting 2025

    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics, Cislunar
    Restricted-Three Body Problem
    Trajectory Design and Dynamical Systems Methods


  • Amelie Lutz | (website) | Aerospace Engineering | MS student, started 2024

    • Research Interests:
    Interstellar Mission Design
    Nucelar Fusion, Propulsion
    Rocketry


  • Yohan Sequeira | (website) | Engineering Mechanics | PhD student, started 2023

    • Research Interests:
    Comparative biomechanics and robotics
    Advanced imaging techniques for animal experiments


  • Dr. Pranav Khandelwal | (website) | Mechanical Engineering | Postdoc, started 2024, Virginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship

    • Research Interests:
    Comparative biomechanics and robotics
    Aerodynamics, glider stability
    Advanced imaging techniques for animal experiments


  • Josh Taylor | (website) | Engineering Mechanics | PhD student, started 2023

    • Research Interests:
    Comparative biomechanics and robotics
    Kinesiology
    Animal locomotion


  • Spencer Soccio-Mallon | (website) | Aerospace Engineering | MS student, started 2024

    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics, Cislunar, xGEO
    Restricted-Three Body Problem
    Space Security


    ROSS LAB ALUMNI -- GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POST-DOCS -- AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW

  • Dr. Landon Bilyeu | (website) | PhD 2024, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | currently, seeking teaching positions

    • Research Interests:
    bioaerosol, plume, uncrewed aerial vehicle, remote sensing, harmful algal blooms, weather
    Transport from air-water interface

    (thesis)
    Modeling the Spread of Airborne Particles Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms and Plumes of Colored Smoke

    ETD: Electronic Theses and Dissertations


  • Mark Munson | (website) | MS 2024, Aerospace Engineering | currently, MIT AeroAstro, Small Satellite Collaborative Program Manager

    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics, Cislunar, xGEO
    Collision Avoidance
    Trajectory Design, Earth-Moon L3 orbits
    Restricted-Three Body Problem

    (thesis)
    Using the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem to Design an Earth-Moon Orbit Architecture for Asteroid Mining

    ETD: Electronic Theses and Dissertations



  • Kun "Aladdin" Alading | (website) | BS 2023, Computational Modeling and Data Analytics | currently, applying to PhD programs

    • Research Interests:
    Computer Science
    Machine Learning
    Red Tide Forecasting



  • Dr. Joshua Fitzgerald | (website) | PhD 2023, Engineering Mechanics | currently working at The Aerospace Corporation
    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics
    Restricted-Three Body Problem
    Cislunar space (Earth-Moon system)
    Invariant manifolds

    (thesis)
    Transport geometry of the restricted three-body problem

    ETD



  • Matt Werner | (LinkedIn) | MS 2022, Aerospace Engineering | currently working at The Aerospace Corporation

    • Research Interests:
    Astrodynamics
    Restricted-Three Body Problem
    Hamiltonian dynamical systems for gravitational assists
    Resonances, chaotic sea, rotationally invariant circles (RICs)
    Scientific computation and visualization

    (thesis)
    Multiple Gravity Assists for Low Energy Transport in the Planar Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem
    Video: Earth to Venus Trajectory Using NO Propulsion - Matt Werner Thesis Defense

    ETD



  • Kristen Tetreault | (website) | MS 2021, Engineering Mechanics | currently, Support Scientist at NASA Research and Education Support Services
    • (co-advised with Jonathan Black, AOE)

    Research Interests:
    Space situational awareness
    Orbital debris mitigation
    Space mission design


  • Dr. Jun Zhong | (website) | PhD 2020, Engineering Mechanics | currently postdoc at Brown University

    • Research Interests:
    Structural mechanics and stability
    dynamic buckling

    (thesis)
    Geometrical Investigation on Escape Dynamics in the Presence of Dissipative and Gyroscopic Forces

    ETD



  • Nathaniel Hall | (website) | MS 2019, Engineering Mechanics | currently working for Kollmorgen

    • Research Interests:
    Autorotating maple seed simulation, characterization, fabrication, and testing
    Team Samara

    (final project poster)
    3D Printing Maple Seeds as a Covert Surveillance Vehicle



  • Dr. Peter Nolan | (website) | PhD 2019, Engineering Mechanics | currently Data Scientist at Lowe's Companies, Inc.

    • Research Interests:
    Lagrangian coherent structures
    atmospheric dynamics
    reduced order modeling
    spread of hazards

    (thesis)
    Experimental and Theoretical Developments in the Application of Lagrangian Coherent Structures to Geophysical Transport

    ETD



  • Dr. Gary Nave | (website) | PhD 2018, Engineering Mechanics/MultiSTEPS NSF IGERT | currently, professor at Colorado School of Mines
    • (co-advised with Mark Stremler, BEAM)

    Research Interests:
    Geometric methods in fluid dynamics
    Fluid-structure interaction


    (thesis)
    Nonlinear Models and Geometric Structure of Fluid Forcing on Moving Bodies

    ETD



  • Dr. Isaac Yeaton | (website) | PhD 2018, Mechanical Engineering/MultiSTEPS NSF IGERT | currently, Research Engineer at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU-APL)
    • (co-advised with Jake Socha, BEAM)

    Research Interests:
    Gliding mechanics of flying snakes
    Landing mechanics of flying snakes
    Dynamical systems analysis
    Motion analysis of biological systems


    (thesis)
    The Dynamics of Non-Equilibrium Gliding in Flying Snakes

    ETD



  • Dr. Thomas Magelinski | (website) | BS 2017, Engineering Science and Mechanics | currently, researcher at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

    • Research Interests:
    Airdrop simulation and visualization, GIS, turbulence

    Thomas Magelinski is the 2016-2017 BEAM Outstanding Senior

    (senior thesis)
    Uncertainty and Inaccuracy of Airdrop Modeling




  • Dr. Shibabrat Naik | (website) | PhD 2016, Engineering Mechanics | currently, professor at Hampton University
    • Research Interests:
    Lobe dynamics and transport in heteroclinic tangles
    Partial control
    Geometric theory of escape and transition
    LCS in 3-dimensional flows

    (thesis)
    Geometric Approaches in Phase Space Transport and Partial Control of Escaping Dynamics

    ETD



  • Dr. Renee Pietsch | (website) | PhD 2016, Biology/MultiSTEPS NSF IGERT | currently, biologist at Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • (co-advised with David Schmale, PPWS)

    Research Interests:
    Aerosolization of Pseudomonas syringae from aquatic environments
    Principles of Flight in Biological Systems (youtube lesson)

    (thesis)
    Getting out of the water and into the air: Understanding aerosolization of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae from aquatic environments

    ETD



  • Dr. Nick Sharp | (website) | BS 2015, Engineering Science and Mechanics | currently, Senior Research Scientist, NVIDIA
    • Research Interests:
    Computational physics and the development of numerical techniques for new systems
    Optimal control via front propagation methods


    (report)
    Set-based optimal control in 3D time-varying velocity fields using alpha-shapes




  • Dr. Amir BozorgMagham | (website) | PhD 2014, Engineering Mechanics | currently, Senior Decision Scientist, Analytics Strategy at Starbucks
    • (co-advised with David Schmale, PPWS)

    Research Interests:
    Stochastic Lagrangian Coherent Structures
    Chaotic Particle Transport in Time Varying Geophysical Flows

    (thesis)
    Atmospheric Lagrangian transport structures and their applications to aerobiology

    ETD



  • Dr. Sam Raben | (website) | PhD 2013, Mechanical Engineering | currently, mechanical engineer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • (co-advised with Pavlos Vlachos, ME)

    Research Interests:
    Particle Image Velocimetry from Experiments
    Lagrangian Coherent Structures derived from PIV


    (thesis)
    Determination of Three Dimensional Time Varying Flow Structures

    ETD



  • Dr. Binbin Lin | PhD 2013 | Research Associate at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center of the University of Tennessee.
    • (co-advised with David Schmale, PPWS)

    Research Interests:
    The association of atmospheric transport barriers and the population structure of fungi in the genus Fusarium

    (thesis)
    Movement and Structure of Atmospheric Populations of Fusarium

    ETD



  • Dr. Aaron J. Prussin | PhD 2013 | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow, Microbiology of the Built Environment, Virginia Tech/Pittsburgh
    • (co-advised with David Schmale, PPWS)

    Research Interests:
    Spread of bacteria and viruses at daycare centers
    Predicting the Transport and Deposition of Fusarium graminearum, Causal Agent of Fusarium Head Blight

    (thesis)
    Monitoring and Predicting the Long Distance Transport of Fusarium graminearum, Causal Agent of Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat and Barley

    ETD



  • Dr. Andy Borum | (website) | BS 2012, Engineering Science and Mechanics | currently, NSF Postdoctoral Associate (Visiting Assistant Professor), Mathematics Dept, Cornell
    • Research Interests:
    Orbital mechanics (Virginia Space Grant Consrotium fellowship)
    Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
    Geometric mechanics, control theory
    mechanics of elastic structures, robotic manipulation


    (senior project report)
    Capturing Near-Earth Asteroids Using A Binary Exchange Mechanism



  • Tobias Dirksen | visiting masters student from Technical Univ. Denmark (DTU) | MS 2012 | Naval architect at Propulsion Dynamics
    • (co-advised with Hassan Aref, Mark Stremler, Virginia Tech (ESM), and Tomas Bohr, DTU (Physics))

    Research Interests:
    Close pairs of relative equilibria for identical point vortices

    (thesis)
    Numerical computations of relative equilibria of identical vortices on the plane and on the sphere



  • Dr. Phanindra Tallapragada | (website) | PhD 2010 | professor at Clemson University in mechanical engineering
    • Research Interests:
    Lagrangian coherent structures in fluid and biomechanical systems

    (thesis)
    Identifying dynamical boundaries and phase space transport using Lagrangian coherent structures

    ETD



  • Dr. Carmine Senatore | (website) | PhD 2010 | Manager at Exponent
    • Research Interests:
    Dynamical systems theory, Optimal control
    Optimized trajectory, Efficient navigation
    Transport and mixing, Enviromental flow analysis
    Off road vehicles fuel efficiency
    Tire dynamics

    (thesis)
    Prediction of mobility, handling, and tractive efficiency of wheeled off-road vehicles

    ETD


  • Dr. Piyush Grover | (website) | PhD 2010 | Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
    • Research Interests:
    -Nonlinear dynamical systems theory, phase space transport and computational methods in dynamical systems.
    -Geometrical methods in mechanics and control.

    (thesis)
    Finding And Exploiting Structure In Complex Systems Via Geometric And Statistical Methods

    ETD



  • Jeff Twigg | (website) | MS 2009 | Research Engineer at Army Research Laboratory

    • Research Interests:
    Ground robots with collaborative autonomy
    Computational and Information Sciences
    Leaderless Formation Control
    Communication Error
    Mechanical properties of insect trachael tubes

    (thesis)
    Formation Fidelity of Simulated Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles through Periodic Communication

    ETD


  • Dr. Martin Tanaka | (website) | PhD 2008 | professor at Western Carolina University
    • Research Interests:
    Biodynamic stability and human movement
    Mathematical modeling of nonlinear dynamic systems
    Experimental analysis of human movement and low back pain
    Rehabilitation engineering and assistive medical devices
    Product innovation, design, development, manufacturing, and launch

    (thesis)
    Biodynamic Analysis of Human Torso Stability using Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents

    ETD