Fourth Year AERO Undergrad Student
Working to better understand real applications of Python and Physics principals. Currently working to create control loops for laboratory equipment and research purposes. Goal of my time at the laboratory is to gain knowledge in lab work and the experience of an engineer working in a team of different skillsets.
Education:
- B.S., Texas A&M University, Aerospace Engineering, 2019 -2023
Work Experience:
- Engineering IT Technician, Texas A&M University, 2021 -Current
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Texas A&M University, 2022-Current
Specific Research Interests:
- Control System
- Data Analysis
- Software UX
Lee Ann Capistran
Astronomy Ph.D. Student
Currently I am working on interferometry and characterization. The goal for my PhD study is to eventually contribute to the development of gravitational wave astronomy, detection and inertial sensing.
Education:
- B.S., University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Physics, 2021
- M.S., Texas A&M University, Aerospace Engineering, 2023
Work Experience:
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy 2016-2020
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy 2020-2021
- Secretary of The National Space Society South Texas Chapter 2019-2021
Specific Research Interests:
- LIGO Data Characterization
- Interferometry
- Optical Engineering
Ian Harley-Trochimczyk
Second Year PhD Student
Currently I am working on developing displacement interferometers as the phase readout systems for optomechanical sensors. I am generally interested in optical metrology techniques, including surface metrology, as well as novel optical system designs. The goal for my PhD study is “to be a solver and to find elegant solutions”.
Education:
- B.S., UC Santa Barbara, 2016
Work Experience:
- Optical Laboratory Technician – Ruda-Cardinal Inc., 2018-2021
- Tutor(Physics, Math) – Varsity Tutors, 2017-2018
- Research and Teaching Assistant – The University of Arizona, 2016-2017
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – UC Santa Barbara, 2015-2016
- Intern – Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2014
Publications :
- Kylan Jersey, Yanqi Zhang, Ian Harley-Trochimczyk, Felipe Guzman, “Design, fabrication, and testing of an optical truss interferometer for the LISA telescope,” Proc. SPIE 11820, Astronomical Optics: Design, Manufacture, and Test of Space and Ground Systems III, 118200L (2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2594738
Specific Research Interests:
- Optical metrology
- Surface metrology
- Novel optical system designs
Adam Hines
Fourth Year Graduate Student
I develop simulations to better understand the fundamental limits of our optomechanical sensors and predict their displacement and acceleration noise floors. Using these simulations, I design new optomechanical resonators to fit specific bandwidth and sensitivity requirements that can be used in fields such as geophysics and gravitational wave interferometry. Furthermore, I work on data acquisition systems in LASSO and experimentally characterize the performance of our sensors.
Education:
-
B.S. Physics, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MN, 2018
Past Research:
-
Undergraduate Laboratory Worker – University of Minnesota Twin Cities 2017-2018
Work Experience:
- Teaching Assistant, University of Arizona Physics Department, 2018 – 2020
- Physics Learning Assistant, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2016
Honors & Awards:
- Gold National Scholarship, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2014-2018
- Dean’s List, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2014-2017
- Edmond B. Franklin Scholarship, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2016
- Ted and Laverne Jones Scholarship University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2017
Specific Research Interests:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Physics Education Research
- Laser Physics Interferometry
- Gravitational Wave Detection
- Optomechanical Engineering
Kylan M Jersey
PhD Candidate
I am currently working on an optical truss interferometer (OTI) for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) with members of the LASSO team in collaboration with the LISA telescope team at the University of Florida. My work is based in Gainesville, FL where the LISA telescope ground testing campaigns are held at UF. I enjoy freestyle riding on both skateboards and bicycles in my free time when I’m not playing with lasers in the lab. I love to learn new things and make cool stuff happen. Cheers!
Education:
-
B.S., University of Nevada, Physics Major & Mathematics Minor, 2019
Employment:
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – under Jonathan Weinstein Department of Physics, University of Nevada Reno, 2018-2019
Honors & Awards:
- Willis E. Lamb Jr. Graduate Student Endowed Scholarship in Optical Sciences
- UNR Vernon Frazier Scholarship
- Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship Program
Specific Research Interests:
- Laser Physics and Interferometry
- Optomechanical Engineering
- Gravitational Wave Detection
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Physics Education Research
Brina B. Martinez
First Year Ph.D. Student
I am working on developing and testing compact optomechanical accelerometers. By developing simulations of potential models that meet our specifications I am able to understand the limits of the sensors. I fabricate the silicon resonators at Texas A&M University’s Nanofabrication facility (Aggiefab). I set up fiber-based Fabry-Perot cavities to measure the resonator’s optical readout and eventually operate them as inertial sensors. I am interested in nanofabrication techniques and gravitational wave interferometry.
Education:
- M.S., Texas A&M University, Aerospace Engineering, 2023
- B.S., University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Physics, 2021
Work Experience:
- LSC Fellow – LIGO Hanford, WA., 2023
- Graduate Research Assistant – LASSO, Texas A&M University, 2021-Present
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2018-2021
- Undergraduate Research Fellow – Caltech LIGO Lab, 2020
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Louisiana State University, 2019
Honors & Awards:
- Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. Excellence Fellowship, Texas A&M University, 2021
- Dean’s and President’s List, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2017-2021
- Victor M. Blanco Fellowship, Caltech LIGO Lab, 2020
- Best Poster Award – APS CUWIP, Texas A&M University, 2020
Specific Research Interests:
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
- Nanofabrication
- Opto-mechanical design and analysis
Diego McCabe
Undergraduate Student
Currently I am working on developing displacement interferometers as the phase readout systems for optomechanical sensors. I am generally interested in optical metrology techniques, including surface metrology, as well as novel optical system designs. The goal for my PhD study is “to be a solver and to find elegant solutions”.
Education:
- M.S., University of Rochester, The Institute of Optics, 2018
- B.S., Beijing Jiao Tong University, Optics, 2016
Work Experience:
- Research Intern – Facebook Reality Labs, 2020
- Graduate Teaching Assistant – Advanced Optics Laboratory, University of Arizona, 2019
- Graduate Research Assistant – under Dr. Jonathan Ellis in Precision Instrumentation Group, University of Rochester, 2017 – 2018
Honors & Awards:
- Dean’s fund for excellence scholarship, University of Arizona, 2019
- James C. Wyant Graduate Student Scholarship in Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 2018
- Academic Achievement Scholarship Award, Beijing Jiao Tong University, 2013-2016
Specific Research Interests:
- Optical metrology
- Optical design and tolerancing
- Opto-mechanical design and analysis
Andrea Nelson
Fourth Year Graduate Student
I am working on the microfabrication of Si resonators for operation as optomechanical inertial sensors at cryogenic temperatures. I will be researching how these devices compare to our high frequency compact fused silica resonators. I am interested in micro/nanofabrication techniques, opto-mechanical resonators, and optical metrology.
Education:
- M.S., The University of Arizona, Optical Sciences, 2022
- B.S., California State University Long Beach, Physics (Summa Cum Laude), 2019
- B.A., University of California Davis, Linguistics (Highest Honors), Japanese (Honors), 2011
Work Experience:
- Tutoring (Math, Reading, EFL)
- Junior Drafter (Structural – AutoCAD) – CB Engineering, 2016-2017
- Assistant Language Teacher – Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (Sado City, Japan), 2011-2014
- Astronomy Lab Roof-helper – UC Davis Department of Physics, 2008-2011
Honors & Awards:
- Friends of Tucson Optics (FoTo) – Richard L. Shoemaker Graduate Endowed Scholarship in Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 2019
- Richard D. Green Dean Award for Outstanding Baccalaureate, Physics, CSU Long Beach, 2019
- CSULB ACS Outstanding Student in Physical Chemistry, CSU Long Beach, 2019
- Richard & Florence Scalettar Scholarship – Physics and Astronomy, CSU Long Beach, 2018-2019
- Regents Scholarship, UC Davis, 2009-2011
Specific Research Interests:
- Micro/Nanofabrication
- Optical metrology
- Opto-mechanical resonators
- Optomechanical Engineering
Ishan Paranjape
PhD Graduate
Howdy! I graduated from the Estimation, Decision, and Planning Laboratory at Texas A&M University, where I worked on cislunar target tracking research. Find our work here! During my time at the LASSO Laboratory, I worked to build our laboratory’s new Digital Signal Processing (DSP) thrust from the ground up by advancing LASSO’s research portfolio in phase-meter development as well as data acquisition systems.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2026
- M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2026
- B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2020
Work Experience:
- Graduate Assistant of Research (GAR) – State Estimation and Target Tracking Research under Dr. Suman Chakravorty, 2023-2026
- Graduate Assistant of Research (GAR) – DSP-based Control Systems Research under Drs. Felipe Guzmán and Jose Sanjuan, 2021-2023
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – Scientific Computing Project under Dr. Srinivas Bettadpur, 2020
- Engineering Tutor – Differential Equations & Linear Algebra and Statics, Cockrell School of Engineering, 2017-2020
- Remote Sensing Summer Research Assistant – under Dr. Srinivas Bettadpur and Mrs. Teresa Howard at Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 2019
- Undergraduate Research Assistant – System Identification Research under Dr. Elodie Chanthery and Dr. Danièle Fournier-Prunaret at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), Toulouse, France, 2018
Honors & Awards:
- AERO Department Travel Grant Award (Academic Year 2025-2026), Texas A&M University Department of Aerospace Engineering, 2026
- 2nd Prize for Best Student Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Integration for Intelligent Systems, 2025
- AERO Department Travel Grant Award (Academic Year 2024-2025), Texas A&M University Department of Aerospace Engineering, 2025
- Sigma Gamma Tau (Aerospace Engineering Honor Society), Texas A&M University, 2021
- Computational Science and Engineering Certificate, Oden Institute of Computational Engineering and Sciences, 2020
- TexasView Research and Education Grant, TexasView Remote Sensing Consortium, 2019
Specific Research Interests:
- Guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C)
- Signal processing
- State estimation
- Digital data acquisition systems
- Multi-sensor fusion
- Hardware/Software co-design
Timeline:
- [August 2026] Graduated with my PhD in Aerospace Engineering and my MS in Electrical Engineering.
- [July 2026] Presented the paper “A Hybrid Particle Gaussian Mixture Filtering Method for Cislunar Target Tracking Under Extreme Uncertainty” at the 2026 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in Whistler, BC, Canada (link)
- [June 2026] Successfully defended my PhD dissertation titled “Probabilistic Target Tracking Frameworks Leveraging Minimal Information in the Cislunar Domain”
- [May 2026] Awarded the AERO Departmental Travel Grant Award to present the work “A Hybrid Particle Gaussian Mixture Filtering Method for Cislunar Target Tracking Under Extreme Uncertainty” at the 2026 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in Whistler, BC, Canada
- [April 2026] Accepted a full-time job offer somewhere exciting! (details TBA)
- [November 2025] Admitted to PhD candidacy after passing the PhD preliminary examination and submitting a research proposal
- [September 2025] Presented the paper “Gaussian Mixture Model Fusion Across Decentralized Sensor Networks,” which won 2nd Prize for Best Student Paper Award at the 2025 IEEE Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Integration (MFI) for Intelligent Systems in College Station, TX (link)
- [August 2025] Awarded the AERO Departmental Travel Grant Award to present the work “Gaussian Mixture Model Fusion Across Decentralized Sensor Networks” at the 2025 IEEE Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Integration (MFI) for Intelligent Systems in College Station, TX
- [August 2025] Presented the paper “Cislunar Domain Multi-Target Search and Estimation Strategies
After Long Sensor Shutoffs” at the 2025 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in Boston, MA (link) - [January 2025] Presented the paper “Cislunar Initial Orbit Determination and Target Tracking Using Kinematic Fitting and Particle Gaussian Mixture Filtering” at the 2025 AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting in Kaua’i County, HI (link)
- [February 2024] Presented the paper “Multi-Sensor Tasking Strategies for Situational Awareness” at the 46th Annual American Astronautical Society (AAS) Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference in Breckenridge, CO
- [August 2023] Joined the Estimation, Decision, and Planning (EDP) Laboratory
- [June 2022] Passed the Aerospace Fundamentals Qualifying Exam (AFQE)
- [September 2021] Promoted to Graduate Assistant – Research with LASSO
- [August 2021] Started PhD program in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University
- [August 2021] Joined LASSO as a Summer Research Assistant
Smruti Shah
First Year MEEN graduate Student
Currently I am working to create website for laboratory. Goal of my time at the laboratory is to gain knowledge about website development and inventory management.
Education:
- M.S., Texas A&M University, Mechanical Engineering, 2022-Present
- B.Tech, National Institute of Technology, Surat, 2013-2017
Work Experience:
- Asset Optimization engineer, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, India, 2021-2022
- Project Engineer, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, India, 2018-2021
- Graduate Engineer Trainee, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, India, 2017-2018
Specific Research Interests:
- Thermal and Fluid Science