STAR Lab Alumni

Postdocs

Dr. Ewan Douglas, Faculty U. Arizona
2016-2019

Dr. Leonid Pogorelyuk, Faculty RPI
2020-2023


Graduate Students

Dr. Whitney Lohmeyer
Ph.D. 2015, S.M. 2013
Thesis: Space radiation environment impacts on high power amplifiers and solar cells on-board geostationary communications satellites

Dr. Ryan Kingsbury
Ph.D. 2015
Thesis: Optical communications for small satellites

Dr. Anne Marinan
Ph.D. 2016, S.M. 2013
Thesis: Improving nanosatellite capabilities for atmospheric sounding and characterization

Dr. Michael Pasqual
Ph.D. 2016
Thesis: Experimental study of non-resolved active polarimetry for space surveillance

Dr. Matthew Webber
Ph.D. 2017
Thesis: Mapping exoplanet clouds and albedo from phase curves and spectra

Dr. Hyosang Yoon
Ph.D. 2017
Thesis: Pointing system performance analysis for optical inter-satellite communication on CubeSats

Dr. Tam Nguyen
Ph.D. 2018, S.M. 2015
Thesis: Fine-pointing system development and photometric precision assessment for the transiting exoplanet survey satellite

Dr. Ashley Carlton
Ph.D. 2018, S.M. 2016
Thesis: Characterizing high-energy electrons in space using science imagers

Dr. Emily Clements 
Ph.D. 2018, S.M. 2013
Thesis: Probabilistic methods for systems engineering with application to nanosatellite laser communications

Dr. Andrew Kennedy
Ph.D. 2018, S.M. 2015
Thesis: Planning and scheduling for earth-observing small satellite constellations

Dr. Kathleen Riesing
Ph.D. 2018, S.M. 2015
Thesis: Portable optical ground stations for satellite communication

Dr. Angela Crews
Ph.D. 2019
Thesis: Calibration and validation for CubeSat Microwave Radiometers

Dr. Roman Geykhman
Ph.D. 2019
Thesis: The effect of differential color refraction on astrometric observations of Solar System bodies and Earth satellites from ground-based optical telescopes

Dr. Raichelle Aniceto
Ph.D. 2019, S.M. 2017
Thesis: 100 Gbps ptical coherent modem for low earth orbit optical inter-satellite links

Dr. Pratik Dave
Ph.D. 2020, S.M. 2014
Thesis: Autonomous navigation of distributed spacecraft using intersatellite laser communications

Dr. James Clark
Ph.D. 2020, S.M. 2016
Thesis: Nonlinear optics for frequency-doubling in nanosatellite laser communication

Dr. Riley Fitzgerald
Ph.D. 2021, S.M. 2018
Thesis: Optimization and Characterization of Chance-Constrained Guidance, Navigation, and Control for Low-Energy Lunar Transfers

Dr. Alexa Aguilar
Ph.D. 2022, S.M. 2019
Thesis: Multiple Simultaneous Optical Links for Space-Based Platforms

Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro
Ph.D. 2022
Thesis: Robots Making Satellites: Advancing In-Space Manufacturing Through On-Orbit Robotic Assembly

Dr. Paula do Vale Pereira
Ph.D. 2022, S.M. 2019
Thesis: Experimental Validation of Melt Probe Models for the Exploration of Ocean Worlds

Dr. Gregory Allan
Ph.D. 2022, S.M. 2018
Thesis: Phasing of Ground-based Optical Arrays for Space Applications

Dr. Christian Haughwout
Ph.D. 2022, S.M. 2018
Thesis: Small Satellite Closed Ecosystems as Enabling Platforms for Low-Cost In-Space Biological Research

Dr. Ondrej Čierny
Ph.D. 2023
Thesis: Sensorless Wavefront Correction Algorithms for Free-Space Optical Communications

Dr. Manwei Chan
Ph.D. 2023
Thesis: Toward Real-time Earth Observation with Satellite Constellation Crosslinks and Propulsion

Dr. Rachel Morgan
Ph.D. 2023, S.M. 2020
Thesis: Germanium on Silicon Integrated Photonics for the Mid-Wave Infrared

Dr. Peter Grenfell
Ph.D. 2024, S.M. 2020
Thesis: Systems Performance Analysis for Autonomous Spacecraft Navigation within Satellite Constellations using Intersatellite Optical Communications Links

Dr. Cadence Payne
Ph.D. 2024, S.M. 2020
Thesis: Nanosatellite Hyperspectral Imaging Performance Modeling for Ocean Color Detection

Dr. William Kammerer
Ph.D. 2024, S.M. 2020
Thesis: Development of Optical Communication Terminals for Increasing Connectivity on Small Satellites

Dr. Patrick McKeen
Ph.D. 2024, S.M. 2019
Thesis: Computational Methods to Improve Satellite Attitude Determination and Control with a Focus on Autonomy, Generalizability, and Underactuation

Dr. Thomas Murphy
Ph.D. 2024, S.M. 2021
Thesis: OPTASAT: An Open-Source, Flexible Software Framework for Small Satellite Operations




Clayton Crail
S.M. 2013
Thesis: Ranking CubeSat communication systems using a value-centric framework

Ingrid Beerer
S.M. 2013
Thesis: Modeling dispersions in initial conditions for air-launched rockets and their effect on vehicle performance

Meghan Quadrino
S.M. 2014
Thesis: Testing the attitude determination and control of a CubeSat with hardware-in-the-loop

Eric Peters
S.M. 2014
Thesis: Dynamic instabilities imparted by CubeSat deployable solar panels

Zachary Decker
S.M. 2016
Thesis: A systems-engineering assessment of multiple CubeSat build approaches

Weston Marlow
S.M. 2016
Thesis: Improving attitude determination and control of resource-constrained CubeSats using unscented Kalman filtering

Stephen Shea
S.M. 2016
Thesis: Characterization of redundant UHF communication systems for CubeSats

Tim Cordeiro
S.M. 2016
Thesis: Dynamic instabilities imparted by CubeSat propulsion

James Byrne
S.M. 2016
Thesis: Resource-constrained avionics design for CubeSats

Karl Gantner
S.M. 2016
Thesis: Production leveling and cycle time reduction in satellite manufacturing

Julian Brown
M.Eng. 2016
Thesis: ROAD: Rapid Optical Asteroid Detection

Ayesha Hein
S.M. 2017
Thesis: A systems analysis of CubeSat constellations with distributed sensors

Caleb Ziegler
S.M. 2017
Thesis: A jam-resistant CubeSat communications architecture

Mitchell Plyler
S.M. 2017
Thesis: A machine learning approach to wind estimation and uncertainty using remote dropsondes and deterministic forecasts

Zachary Lee
S.M. 2017
Thesis: CubeSat constellation implementation and management using differential drag

Myron Lee
S.M. 2017
Thesis: Optomechanical and wavelength alignments of CubeSat laser communication Systems

Maxim Khatsenko
S.M. 2017
Thesis: A rotary shape memory alloy actuator for CubeSat deployable structures

Michael Long
S.M. 2018
Thesis: Pointing acquisition and tracking design and analysis for CubeSat Laser communication

Jeffrey Menezes
S.M. 2018
Thesis: Use of isoperformance, constraint programming, and mixed integer linear programing for architecture tradespace exploration of passive Optical Earth Observation Systems

Derek Barnes
S.M. 2018
Thesis: Optomechanical design, analysis, and testing of the nanosatellite optical downlink experiment

Rodrigo Diez
S.M. 2018
Thesis: High-performance electronic systems for complex LEO missions

Joe Kusters
M.Eng. 2018
Thesis: A software-defined receiver for laser communications using a GPU

Jonathan Schiller
S.M. 2019
Thesis: Radio frequency interference and risk of damage for satellite servicing missions

Daniel Reynolds
S.M. 2019
Thesis: Control-structure interaction mitigation for NASA’s Gateway

Warren Grunwald
S.M. 2019
Thesis: Decentralized on-board planning and scheduling for crosslink-enabled Earth-observing constellations

Alex Knoedler
S.M. 2019
Thesis: Reciprocity-enhanced time-division multiplexed optical switching with spatial diversity for free-space optical communication links

Bobby Holden
S.M. 2019
Thesis: Onboard distributed replanning for crosslinked small satellite constellations

Yeyuan (Yinzi) Xin
S.M. 2020
Thesis: Coronagraphic data post-processing using projections on instrumental modes

Faisal Fogle
S.M. 2020
Thesis: Liquid lens beam steering and environmental testing for the miniature optical steered antenna for inter-satellite communication

Grant Gunnison
M.Eng. 2020
Thesis: Development of the electronics architecture for a compact lasercom fine-pointing system

Katherine Chun
S.M. 2020
Thesis: Shape memory alloy rotary actuator for CubeSat deployable structures

Jennifer Gubner
S.M. 2021
Thesis: The Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission (DeMi) On-Orbit Analysis

Caitlin Auffinger
S.M. 2021
Thesis: Evaluation and Implementation of Augmented Reality for Aerospace Operations and Sustainment

Lucy Halperin
S.M. 2021
Thesis: Rotational Transformation Methods for Radio Occultation and Passive Microwave Radiometry Colocation Analysis

Christopher Roll
S.M. 2021
Thesis: Decreasing Size, Weight, and Power of Opto-Mechanical Assemblies Using Single-Crystal Silicon

Amelia Gagnon
S.M. 2022
Thesis: Formation of RAAN-Spread CubeSat Constellations Utilizing Onboard Low-Thrust Propulsion

Violet Felt
M.Eng. 2022
Thesis: Machine Learning Models for On-Orbit Detection of Temperature and Chlorophyll Ocean Fronts

Albert Thieu
S.M. 2022
Thesis: On-Orbit Pointing Risk Mitigation for the Agile MicroSat (AMS) CubeSat Laser Guidestar Payload

Sophia Vlahakis
S.M. 2022
Thesis: On-Orbit Characterization of a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Deformable Mirror (DM): Mission Results from the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission (DeMi) CubeSat

Jacob Harburg
S.M. 2023
Thesis: Improvements to LEO Tracking on The Portable Telescope for Lasercom (PorTeL)

Juliana Chew
S.M. 2023
Thesis: Evaluating the Use of TROPICS Pathfinder Observations for Lunar Calibration

Alex Rose
S.M. 2023
Thesis: Applying Rotation-Equivariant Deep Learning to Cloud and Road Segmentation in Satellite and Aerial Imagery

Annika Thomas
S.M. 2023

Kathleen Xu
S.M. 2023

Dansil Green
S.M. 2024