University Leadership Initiative Interested Partner List (Round 3)

NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
University Leadership Initiative
Interested Partner List      
 

For ULI, the lead (proposing) organization must be an accredited, degree-granting U.S. college or university. Partners may include other U.S. colleges and universities, U.S. companies, U.S. non-profit organizations, U.S. federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC).

To be listed as an interested lead or partner, please send electronic mail to hq-univpartnerships@mail.nasa.gov with "ULI Partnerships" in the subject line and include the information below.

Organization Name

Organization POC POC E-mail Area of Research Interest Lead/Partner
University of Nevada, Reno

Hao Xu,

Assistant Professor

haoxu@unr.edu Assured Autonomy (Intelligent and resilient distributed planning and control, real-time fault detection and resolution), Aviation/Aircraft Safety and Security (Cyber-security, block chain, guidance and navigation), Electrical Aircraft Design, Green Aviation, Air Traffic Management, UAS Traffic Management (UTM), Robotics Systems and UAV Design, Robot Autonomy, Formation Flight. Partner
Iowa State University

Hongwei Zhang,

Associate Professor

hongwei@iastate.edu Trustworthy, low-latency wireless systems for control and AR/VR Partner
Iowa State University

Hui HU,

Professor

huhui@iastate.edu Aircraft Icing Physics and Anti-/De-icing;  Unmanned-Aerial-System (UAS); UAS Aerodynamics and Propulsion; Aeroacoustics of UAS Propellers; Heat Transfer and Thermal Management of Gas Turbines Lead/Partner
University of Central Florida (Minority-Serving Institution)

Dr. Subith Vasu,

Associate Professor

subith@ucf.edu

Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)

Topic 3: Subsonic Transport (Strategic Thrust 3a)

Topic 4: Civil Aircraft that Incorporate Vertical Lift Capability (Strategic Thrust 3b)

Topic 5: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy (Strategic Thrust 4)

 

Gas turbine engines and propulsion system; Shock waves; Laser and optical sensors for engine and flow field characterization; Energy conversion;
Partner

Western Illinois University-Quad City Manufacturing Lab

Dr. Eric Faierson,

Interim Director

ej-faierson@wiu.edu Topic 8: Materials and Structures Partner
University of Miami Gecheng Zha Gzha@miami.edu VTOL Aircraft, Flow control, High Fidelity CFD Lead/Partner

University of North Carolina at Greensboro, The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Hemali Rathnayake,

Associate Professor

hprathna@uncg.edu Topic 8: Materials and Structures Lead/Partner
Michigan State University, Composite Materials and Structures Center

Lawrence T. Drzal

University Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Director, Composite Materials and Structures Center

DRZAL@EGR.MSU.EDU

Topic 8: Materials and Structures.

Multifunctional polymers and composites, Surface and Interfacial Treatments for Adhesion and Adhesive Bonding; Graphene nanomaterials for mechanical, electrical, thermal, barrier, and fire retardancy property enhancement.

Partner
University of Southern California

Qiming Wang

Assistant Professor

qimingw@usc.edu Topic 8: Materials and Structures Lead/Partner
UNC Charlotte

Rodward L Hewlin, Jr.

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Tech

rhewlin@uncc.edu Topic 6: Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance Lead

Architecture Technology Corporation

Greg Carr,

Research Engineer

gcarr@atcorp.com

Aviation Safety Analysis; Operations Research; Data Analysis and Visualization; Machine Learning; Cyber-Security; Fast-time and Real-time Simulation; Air Traffic Management/Air Traffic Control; Decision Support Automation; EFB Applications; UAS; Urban Air Mobility.

Partner
Rutgers University

Dr. Rajiv Malhotra,

Assistant Professor

rajiv.malhotra@rutgers.edu Topic 8: Materials and structures. Scalable and automated additive- and deformation-based methods for integration of high performance conductive interconnects and functional devices with solid and/or shell structures. Partner
Arizona State University

Dhruv Bhate,

Associate Professor

dpbhate@asu.edu

Topic 8: Materials & Structures

Specific interests in Additive Manufacturing, Biomimetic Design and Cellular Materials (i.e. honeycomb, lattices, foams)  

Group Website: www.3DXResearch.com
Lead/Partner
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daewon Kim, Associate Professor daewon.kim@erau.edu Topic 6: Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance Partner
ATAC Corporation

Dr. Aditya Saraf,

Director of Research Programs

aps@atac.com Autonomy; UAS Traffic Management; Explainable Artificial Intelligence; Aviation Safety Analysis; Fast-time and Real-time Air Traffic Simulation Tools; Aviation Big Data Analytics; Urban Air Mobility Noise Estimation; Environmental Analysis; ATM Decision Support Tools; Data Analysis and Visualization; ATM Benefits Assessment; ATM Concepts Development and Analysis Partner

University at Buffalo,

State University of New York

James Chen,

Assistant Professor

chenjm@buffalo.edu

Topic 2: Supersonic Commercial  Aircraft;

Topic 3: Subsonic Transport;

Topic 5: Alternative Propulsion and Energy;

Compressible Turbulence, Hypersonics; Nonequilibrium Phenomena.

Lead/Partner
Syracuse University Amit K. Sanyal, Associate Professor aksanyal@syr.edu

Topic 7: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation (DAA for UAS in the NAS, UTM)

Lead
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Fotis Kopsaftopoulos,

Assistant Professor, Intelligent Structural Systems Laboratory (ISSL), Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering

kopsaf@rpi.edu

Topic 8: Materials and Structures (intelligent self-aware structures, SHM diagnostics and prognostics, aeroelasticity/structural dynamics),

Topic 6: Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance (intelligent systems, stochastic systems, system identification, fault detection and identification)

Partner
Purdue University

Guillermo Paniagua,

Professor

gpaniagua@purdue.edu Turbomachinery; measurement techniques; propulsion Lead/Partner
Texas A&M University

Lesley Wright,

Associate Professor

Lesley_Wright@TAMU.edu Topics 3 and 4 – Aircraft Propulsion; Heat Transfer in Turbomachinery; Flow and Thermal Diagnostics for Advanced Propulsion Applications Lead / Partner
Rutgers University

Onur Bilgen,

Assistant Professor

o.bilgen@rutgers.edu

Topic 5: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy

Topic 8: Materials and Structures

Expertise: Morphing structures, multi-functional materials, fluid-structure interaction

Lead / Partner
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Ou Ma,

Professor

ou.ma@uc.edu Topic 7: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation Lead / Partner
Collins Aerospace Laura M Smith-Velazquez Laura.Smith-Velazquez@collins.com

Commercial Supersonic Aircraft

Intelligent Flight Deck Technology leading to Increasingly Autonomous Systems

Human Autonomy Teaming
Partner

University of California, Berkeley

Susan Shaheen,

Professor

 

Adam Cohen,

Researcher

sshaheen@berkeley.edu

apcohen@berkeley.edu

Public Perception/Societal Acceptance of UAM, VTOL, Electrification, and Autonomous Aviation 

Topics 1, 4, 5, 7

 

Topic 1: Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations

Topic 4: Civil Aircraft that Incorporate Vertical Lift Capability

Topic 5: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy

Topic 7: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation

Lead/Partner

Utah State University

Doug Hunsaker,

Assistant Professor

doug.hunsaker@usu.edu

Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)

Topic 3: Subsonic Transport (Strategic Thrust 3a)

Topic 4: Civil Aircraft that Incorporate Vertical Lift Capability (Strategic Thrust 3b)

Topic 5: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy (Strategic Thrust 4)

Aerodynamics, Flight Mechanics, Flight Simulation, Low-Fidelity Aerodynamic Modeling and Analysis, Aircraft Design, Subsonic/Supersonic.

Partner
University of Kansas

Haiyang Chao,

Assistant Professor

chaohaiyang@ku.edu Topic 7: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation, wind/turbulence estimation, aircraft wake encounter, formation flight, sensor fusion, vision aided navigation, aircraft system identification. Partner
General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc. Robert D. Love, Ph.D. robert.love@ga-asi.com Leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems, radars, electro-optic and related mission systems solutions. Multi-disciplinary unmanned aircraft conceptual design and optimization (VTOL/STOL/CTOL), composite structures, hybrid-electric & electric propulsion systems, morphing wings and aeroservoelasticity. Partner
University of Virginia

Haiying Shen,

Associate Professor

hs6ms@virginia.edu Topic 6: Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance Lead/Partner
University of Toledo Mohammad Elahinia mohammad.elahinia@utoledo.edu  Topic 8: additive manufacturing of HTSMA for embedded actuation of aerospace systems www.elahinia.net Lead/Partner
FGC Plasma Solutions Felipe Gomez del Campo felipe.gomez@fgcplasma.com

Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)

Topic 3: Subsonic Transport (Strategic Thrust 3a)

Plasma-assisted combustion for low emissions, fuel flexible, compact combustors, active combustion control, hypersonics, gas turbine combustion
Partner

University of Central Florida

(Minority-Serving Institution)

Dr. Kareem Ahmed kareem.ahmed@ucf.edu

Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)

Topic 3: Subsonic Transport (Strategic Thrust 3a)

Topic 4: Civil Aircraft that Incorporate Vertical Lift Capability (Strategic Thrust 3b)

Topic 5: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy (Strategic Thrust 4)

 

Propulsion systems and gas turbine engines, supersonic flows, combustion, high-speed laser optical diagnostics.
Lead/Partner
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Peter Webley,

Research Associate Professor

pwwebley@alaska.edu Unmanned Aircraft System Anti-/Deicing;  Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS); UAS integration into U.S. National Airspace System; Large and Small UAS Operations; Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) UAS; UAS Traffic Management (UTM); Detect and Avoid (DAA) Technologies. Lead/Partner

University of Southern California

Sven Koenig,

Professor

skoenig@usc.edu

Topic 7: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation

artificial intelligence (planning and coordination) and robotics group working on autonomous aircraft towing vehicles (as listed in the ARMD Strategic Thrust 6: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation - Vision and Roadmap)

Partner
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Changmin Son,

Professor

changminson@vt.edu

 

An integrated real-time flight safety and aero-engine diagnostics and prognostics system utilizing combined airframe, engine and atmospheric data Lead
University of Pittsburgh

Inanc Senocak,

Associate Professor

senocak@pitt.edu Adaptive mesh methods for high fidelity subsonic aerodynamics, extreme-scale computing, wind estimation in urban and complex terrain environments for civil aviation and urban air mobility. Partner
Boise State University

Aykut C. Satici,

Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering

aykutsatici@boisestate.edu

Robotics, control theory, dynamical systems, multi-agent cooperation, and optimization Lead/Partner
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

Sam Siewert,

Assistant Professor

siewerts@erau.edu

Assured Autonomy with emphasis on GPS denied, jammed, spoof or challenged scenarios and resilient navigation for fail safe and fail secure operations.  Specifically ground and flight instrumentation with multi-modal sensor fusion.  On the ground, RADAR, visible and LWIR optical, and acoustic localization, classification, potential identification and catalogs and history of sUAS, UAM, and GA traffic.  For flight systems, multi-modal sensor fusion with LIDAR, LWIR, high fidelity INS and visible optical localization.  Emphasis is machine vision and machine learning for autonomous operations and resilience of operation with or without GNSS.

Partner/Lead
Georgia Institute of Technology Krish Ahuja, Regents Professor Krish.ahuja@ae.gatech.edu    
Kent State University Rui Liu, Ph.D. rliu11@kent.edu Trust in HRI, robot safety awareness, robot attention, robot commonsense in decision making, resilient multi-robot systems, adversarial/deep/reinforcement learning Partner
Oklahoma State University

Omer San,

Assistant Professor

osan@okstate.edu

Development of digital twin technologies, cyber-physical infrastructure, big data analytics, data assimilation, inference, intrusive and nonintrusive reduced order modeling of parameterized systems for near real-time predictions Partner
Boeing Research & Technology

Frederick Calkins,

Associate Technical Fellow

frederick.t.calkins@boeing.com

Novel actuator development supporting active flow control and structural flow control; lightweight, robust, highly integrated Shape Memory Alloy actuators and supporting technology Partner
         
         

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