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Experts' Biographies

UW Leaders in Aerospace Innovation - Biographies

 

Karl F. Böhringer

Professor, Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering
Director, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Böhringer is working on anisotropic microtextured surfaces that transport water droplets when vibrated. This effect could be used to prevent ice buildup on the airfoil by moving away condensed water from critical areas. This work is funded by NSF but primarily for microfluidics applications. He would be very interested in exploring this idea with an aerospace company. He has an issued patent and more ROIs filed. Dr. Böhringer is also interested in wearable and implantable microsensors for continuous health monitoring.

Contact: (206) 221-5177 | karlb@uw.edu

 

Michael B. Bragg

Frank & Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering
Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Bragg joined the UW in July 2013 as the chief academic officer of the college. He provides leadership to over 240 faculty and more than 6,800 students. Dr. Bragg is an international expert on the effect of ice accretion on aircraft aerodynamics and flight safety.

Contact: (206) 543-1829 | mbragg@uw.edu

 

Robert Breidenthal

Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Co-PI, Low Speed Fluid Dynamics & Aerodynamics Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Breidenthal investigates turbulent entrainment, which controls the vertical fluxes of mass, momentum, and energy throughout the atmosphere and the oceans as well as at their interface. In our laboratory, we pursue insight into the effects of acceleration, buoyancy-reversal, compressibility, confinement, persistence, rotation, and stratification on entrainment.

Contact: (206) 685-1098 | breidenthal@aa.washington.edu

 

Howard Chizeck

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Co-Director, UW Biorobotics Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Chizeck is working on haptic interaction for teleoperation (humans in the loop, providing sense of touch to the operator of robot end effectors, robots, UAVs) applied to robotic surgery, underwater operations and search and rescue applications. This technology helps guide the operator and robot/end effector, etc. He is also working on security for remotely operated devices focusing on situations where the human is in the loop.

Contact: (206) 221-3591 | chizeck@uw.edu

 

Dana Dabiri

Associate Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Co-PI, Low Speed Fluid Dynamics & Aerodynamics Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Aerospace-Related Research (20-60 words): Dr. Dabiri's interests as an experimentalist is to study fundamental fluid flows through new and advanced quantitative flow imaging techniques. He has contributed to the highly successful DPIV (Digital Particle Image Velocimetry) technique and played a pivotal role in the team that pioneered the 3-component version of the DPIV technique (DDPIV), which allowed for full 3-D time-evolving interrogation of fluid flow fields. He has also pioneered the DPITV (Digital Particle Image Thermometry and Velocimetry) technique that allows for simultaneous temperature and velocity measurements. At present, he is developing novel methods in 2D and 3D Particle Image Velocimetry, 2D and 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry, simultaneous global pressure, temperature and velocimetry measurements; and simultaneous global surface pressure and shear stress measurements for applications in studies of aerodynamics, aero-acoustics, heat transfer, turbulence, Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling, and bioflows.

Contact: (206) 543-6067 | dabiri@aa.washington.edu

 

Santosh Devasia

Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Affairs, UW College of Engineering
Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Air Traffic Control

Dr. Devasia works aims to address the current challenge in the design of conflict resolution procedures (CRP) used in Air Traffic Control (ATC), i.e., to guarantee the overall safety and efficiency of a route network with multiple intersections — where each CRP acts locally, in space and in time. It is challenging to guarantee overall stability in a route network with multiple conflicts (especially if the CRP solves each one locally). In particular, a challenge is to ensure that modifications of flight trajectories, for resolving a local conflict, do not lead to a domino effect; i.e., resolution of a conflict should not lead to new conflicts. Moreover, for guaranteeing safety, the procedure should always lead to a solution of the conflict resolution problem. Current efforts suggest that such provably safe automation might be feasible without loss of route capacity.

Contact: (206) 685-3401 | devasia@uw.edu

 

Antonino Ferrante

Assistant Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
PI, Computational Fluid Mechanics Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Ferrante's research interests are in the area of Computational Fluid Mechanics (CFM). His research is mainly focused on single-phase, multi-phase, and multi-species turbulent flows, and chemically-reacting high-speed flows relevant to engineering applications, e.g., internal and external aerodynamics, propulsion, and to natural phenomena. His research group develops numerical methods and algorithms for high-performance computing (HPC) to perform state of the art Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of turbulent flows.

Contact: (206) 616-0109 | ferrante@aa.washington.edu

 

Richard Gustafson

Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
Advanced Biofuels and Co-Products from Mixed Feedstocks

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Gustafson’s research goal is to develop processes that can efficiently convert cellulosic biomass into fuels and high value co-products. The approach is to develop technology for fractionating cellulosic biomass into component molecules and then use the most efficient processes to convert those into fuels and high value products. Specific areas of research include optimization of cellulosic pretreatments for Biofuel production, modeling and optimization of integrated biorefineries, and novel separation methods for production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

Contact: (206) 543-2790 | pulp@u.washington.edu

 

Jim Hermanson

Professor and Department Chair, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Combustion and Gas Dynamics

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Hermanson's research interests are primarily in the general field of aerothermofluids, with emphasis on aerospace propulsion, combustion, gas dynamics, and multiphase flow. His first research contribution was an experimental study of the effects of heat release in turbulent, reacting mixing layers. Subsequently he investigated the injection of gaseous and supercritical fluid jets into supersonic streams. He and his coworkers also studied experimentally and numerically the interaction of shock waves with turbulent jets and vortex rings, with emphasis on density-dependent mixing mechanisms in these flows. These problems, as well as other research Dr. Hermanson has conducted in fuel injection and mixing enhancement in supersonic flow, are relevant to supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets).

He has also experimentally investigated low-emissions approaches in lean premixed and partially premixed combustion systems. These combustion research may be useful in the development of compact, low-emissions combustors for terrestrial applications.

Dr. Hermanson's research group has also studied the condensation and evaporation of fluid films under normal- and reduced-gravity conditions. This research has potential applications for terrestrial and space-based power systems as well as fluid handling in space. In addition to continuing the film-evaporation research, Dr. Hermanson is currently involved in research projects in the combustion of bio-derived aviation fuels (jointly with the UW Mechanical Engineering Department) and the evaporation and heat transfer characteristics of cryogenic propellants (jointly with Michigan Technological University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology).

Contact: (206) 616-2310 | jherm@aa.washington.edu

 

Jenq-Neng Hwang

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Co-director, Information Processing Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Hwang is working on 3D dynamic scene reconstructions based on video object tracking (human and vehicles) from cameras equipped on multiple self-organized UAVs or moving robots. The corresponding 3D visualization can thus be constructed from this big array of moving cameras. After tracking video objects in each camera, the most challenging job is to consistently track the video objects across different cameras, which have different camera color responses, light conditions and view perspectives, moving speed, etc. The unsupervised and self-organized learning techniques are used to compensate all these differences for consistent tracking.

Contact: (206) 685-1603 | hwang@uw.edu

 

John C. Kramlich

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Combustion, Environmental emissions control, Algae-based biofuels

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Kramlich’s aerospace-related work focuses on the development and characterization of alternative aviation fuels. He has worked on the manufacture of these fuels from algal-based biomass. He has also worked extensively on the combustion performance of these fuels, specifically flame stability envelopes and environmental emissions (NOx and soot). Stability envelopes are important in determining whether new fuels are more or less prone to flameout. Soot emissions in particular depend strongly on fuel molecular structure, and his laboratory has been among the first to attempt to link these fundamental fuel properties to soot production.

Contact: (206) 543-5538 | kramlich@u.washington.edu

 

Yasuo Kuga

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Director, Electromagnetics and Remote Sensing Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Kuga has worked with Boeing engineers to design a new phased array antenna which is powered by the wirelessly transmitted microwave power. A small scale proof-of-concept array antenna was fabricated and its performance was evaluated. He has also worked with the Boeing IT group to design a new broadband inductive coupler for the airport terminal power line communication link.

Contact: (206) 543-0478 | ykuga@uw.edu

 

Kuen Lin

Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Co-director of Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials in Transport Aircraft Structures (AMTAS)

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Lin has co-developed a well-known Mar-Lin Fracture Model, which is being used by the aerospace industry for the damage tolerant design of composite aircraft structures. He has also developed a singular finite element method for the accurate analysis of bi-material fracture problems. His current research topics include development of reliability-based damage tolerant structural design methodology, time-dependent fracture, as well as aging degradation of polymeric composites at elevated temperatures. Most of his current research efforts have direct applications to the critical technologies needed in developing the next generation of aerospace vehicles.

Contact: (206) 543-6334 | lin@aa.washington.edu

 

Lih Lin

Professor, Electrical Engineering
UWEE Photonics Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Lin is working on developing light-weight, flexible solar cells using solution-processed semiconductor quantum dots and plasmonic metal nanoparticles for enhanced efficiency. The conformal and wearable thin-film solar cells could be incorporated onto the exterior of a habitat, rover, aircraft or spacecraft for potential aerospace applications.

Contact: (206) 543-2168 | lylin@uw.edu

 

Ramulu Mamidala

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Boeing-Pennell Professor of Engineering

Director, Manufacturing Science and Technology Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Prof. Ramulu's research aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the manufacturing processes mechanics and modeling. The effects from manufacturing processes on the mechanical, fatigue properties and structural integrity of both engineering and engineered materials. Broad research efforts are presently focused on the following areas:

  • Development of new and/or improvement of existing manufacturing processes with emphasis on modern manufacturing processes of both engineering and engineered materials or advanced composites.
  • Development of Mechanistic Models in Material Removal Processes.
  • Cutting Tool Development to Machine Hybrid Composites.
  • Evaluation of surface integrity resulting from material removal processes and their contribution to fatigue and fracture.

Contact: (206) 206-543-5349 | ramulum@u.washington.edu

 

Alex Mamishev

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Director of Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory (SEAL)

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Mamishev is working on detection of defects in composite materials, which is supported by Boeing, and on silent aircraft supported by Aerotech.

Contact: (206) 221-5729 | mamishev@uw.edu

 

Mehran Mesbahi

Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Director of Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI)

Aerospace-Related Research

Prof. Mesbahi’s research is on the dynamics and control of networked systems with particular attention to their aerospace engineering applications. The research of his group is multi-faceted, with a blend of theory, computation, and experimentation. The key areas of interest currently include:

  • Theoretical underpinnings of networked systems from a control-theoretic perspective, including performance, graph- theoretic methods, randomness, robustness and security.
  • Guidance, navigation, estimation, and control for single and multiple spacecraft systems.
  • Applications of networked systems and control in multi-platform aerial (quadrotors, balloons, helicopters) and ground systems, biology, nano-systems, quantum networks, particularly pertaining to their estimation and control.
  • Optimization and control applications in engineering systems, such as total energy optimization in aerospace systems, clean energy, and smart grids.
  • Control and optimization theory and algorithms in a broad sense.

Contact: (206) 543-7937 | mesbahi@aa.washington.edu

 

Kristi Morgansen

Associate Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Principal Investigator of Nonlinear Dynamics and Control Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Morgansen's research interests focus on control methods for nonlinear and coordinated control systems. Current topics include bioinspired sensing and actuation, fin-based propulsive methods, control of coordinated systems with communication constraints, vision-based sensing for state estimation, and development of integrated human and autonomous multivehicle systems.

Contact: (206) 616-5950 | morgansen@aa.washington.edu

 

Radha Poovendran

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Network Security Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Radha Poovendran is the founding director of the Network Security Lab (NSL) in the EE Dept. His research focuses joint design of security, control, and performance for multi-unmanned aerial vehicle networks, aviation cyber-physical systems, NextGen air traffic management, wireless network and distributed systems. His contributions to aviation security include patents, standards, software transitions, and international professional community initiatives.

Contact: (206) 221-6512 | rp3@u.washington.edu

 

Per Reinhall

Professor and Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing Science and Technology Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Reinhall's main research interest include nonlinear dynamical systems, acoustics, mechanics, and computing with focus on the development of biomedical devices and instrumentation, noise and vibration control, fluid-structure interaction and sensors and actuators.

Contact: (206) 685-6665 | reinhall@u.washington.edu

 

Sumit Roy

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Fundamentals of Networking Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Roy is developing network architecture and algorithmic solutions for: in-cabin wireless distribution systems; and integration of autonomous vehicles within civilian airspace per emerging FAA rules.

Contact: (206) 221-5261 | sroy@uw.edu

 

C. J. Richard Shi

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Silicon Systems Research Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Shi works on "aerospace electronics," the development of high-performance microelectronic chips for aerospace systems with specific emphasis on high-sensitivity plastic optical fiber transceivers for in-flight communications, high-speed aerospace system interfacing chips, and phase-array systems. His recent research activities also include radiation hardened space electronics.

Contact: (206) 221-5291 | cjshi@ee.washington.edu

 

Joshua R. Smith

Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering
Sensor Systems research group

Aerospace-Related Research

Dr. Smith works on wireless power transfer and micropropulsion in space for the NASA fractionated spacecraft concept. Wireless Power Transfer has been maturing rapidly in the biomedical and consumer electronic domains. Because electromagnetic wireless power transfer is non-contact it may be attractive for space applications as well. For example, small spacecraft (smallsats) could potentially be recharged by larger craft. Electromagnetic wireless power transfer may also generate forces on the spacecraft. These can be used to eliminate unwanted forces, and to control the configuration of a smallsat receive unit relative to another spacecraft (small or large).

Contact: (206) 685-2094 | jrs@cs.washington.edu

 

Ming-Ting Sun

Professor, Electrical Engineering
Co-director, Information Processing Lab

Aerospace-Related Research

Power-line-strike accident is a major safety threat for low-flying aircrafts such as helicopters, thus an automatic warning system for power lines detection is highly desirable. In this work we developed an algorithm using machine learning approaches for detecting power lines from radar videos from an active millimeter-wave sensor. It allows automatic detection of power lines far away and in the evening. Experiments with real-world data collected from actual test flights validated the effectiveness of our algorithm.

Contact: (206) 616-8690 | mts@uw.edu

 

Minoru Taya

Nabtesco Endowed Chair Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Director, Center for Intelligent Materials and Systems (CIMS)

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Taya has been working on a new fastener system based on Fe-SMA for polymeric composite structures, which can be applicable to any composite structures with applications to aerospace, automobiles and energy-infrastructures. He has also been working on organic based eletrochromic windows with applications to airplanes, automobiles and building.

Contact: (206) 685-2850 | tayam@uw.edu

 

Mark Tuttle

Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Director of Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials in Transport Aircraft Structures (AMTAS)

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Tuttle's interests involve applied solid mechanics, composite materials and structures, adhesion mechanics, and viscoelasticity. Professor Tuttle's research activities have included measurement and prediction of the long-term durability of polymer-matrix composites; the buckling response of composite laminates; the impact of fire on polymeric composites; the optimal design of composite structures; ultra-high strain measurement techniques; strain measurements using moiré interferometry and digital image correlation, and resistance strain gage technologies.

Contact: (206) 543-5710 | tuttle@u.washington.edu

 

Juris Vagners

Professor Emeritus, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Autonomous Flight Systems Laboratory

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Vagners' research interests have been in the application of unconventional control techniques, i.e., artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic and evolutionary programming, to control systems design. Most recently, his research has focused on autonomous and semi-autonomous Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In 1998 he collaborated with The Insitu Group on the first crossing of the North Atlantic by a robotic aircraft. The Aerosonde Laima , at ten foot wing span and gross take-off weight of 29 lbs., was not only the first, but by far the smallest aircraft to accomplish such a historic feat. The crossing took 26 hours and 45 minutes and consumed one and a half gallons of aviation gasoline. Since then he has been working on cooperative path and mission planning for multiple UAVs as well as development of web based tools for quantitative risk assessment of UAS operations. Another current area of interest is collaboration between UAVs and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs).

Contact: (206) 616-3590 | vagners@uw.edu

 

Zelda B. Zabinsky

Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Co-PI, Optimal Design of Composite Structures
Co-PI, Air Traffic Management

Aerospace-Related Research

Professor Zabinsky has worked with Boeing, NASA-Langley, and the FAA in two areas related to aerospace research:

Contact: (206) 543-4607 | zelda@u.washington.edu