Personnel

Matthew graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.S in Physics in 2013, and an M.S. in Applied Physics in 2016. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Applied Physics Program at the University of Michigan. Matthew is studying the the interaction of spacecraft surfaces with the plume of Hall effect thrusters. He uses data-driven statistical methods to predict how the operation of these thrusters changes from ground testing conditions to those found on orbit in order to estimate how the thruster plasma effects a spacecraft.

email: mpbyrne@umich.edu

NSF Fellow
Leanne graduated with a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2018, where she researched plasma velocity behavior in the acceleration region of Z-pinch plasma formation. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Aerospace Engineering program at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the performance of high-power Hall thrusters, including high current densities and alternate propellants and chamber designs.

email: leannesu@umich.edu

website: leanne.space

NASA Space Technology Research Fellow

Chris graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Physics in 2017. After graduation, he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a year developing a cryo-vacuum facility for the Europa Lander project. He joined PEPL in the Fall of 2018 as an Aerospace Engineering PhD student. His research focuses on the development of Rotating Magnetic Field Field-Reversed Configuration (RMF FRC) thrusters.

email: csercel@umich.edu

Thomas Marks graduated from Texas A&M University in May 2018 with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. He joined PEPL in fall 2018. He studies numerical modelling of electric propulsion device physics and is currently working on applying data-driven methods to improve predictive modelling of Hall thrusters and magnetic nozzles.

email: marksta@umich.edu

website: thomasmarks.space

NASA Space Technology Research Fellow

Tate Gill graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in May 2018. From there, he came to Ann Arbor and in December 2019 received an M.S.E in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. Now, as a Ph.D. candidate with PEPL, his work focuses on understanding efficiency losses within inductive pulsed plasma thrusters using both conventional and novel plasma diagnostic techniques.

email: tategill@umich.edu

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity Fellow

Collin received his BS in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the Spring of 2019, where he worked with the High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory. He joined PEPL as a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering that Fall. His research focuses on electrospray propulsion, with a goal of developing sub-kilowatt class arrays for SmallSat applications. email: cbwhitt@umich.edu

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity Fellow

Parker graduated from Berry College in May 2020 with a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics. He joined PEPL in the fall of 2020 as a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering. He spent two summers working with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on validation testing of the Hall-Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) for the Lunar Gateway spacecraft. His current research focuses on investigating particle transport, oscillations, and facility effects in high-power Hall thrusters using non-invasive laser plasma diagnostics including Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Incoherent Thomson Scattering.

email: pjrob@umich.edu

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity Fellow

Will graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2021 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He joined PEPL in the fall of 2021 as a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering. His current research interest is in high powered high current density Hall Thrusters.

email: wjhurley@umich.edu

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity Fellow

Madison Allen graduated in May 2021 with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in mathematics. She joined PEPL in the fall of 2021 as a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering. Her interest is in high power hall thrusters for deep space flight and understanding their facility effects.

email: mgallen@umich.edu

National Science Foundation Fellow

Declan graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a B.S. in Physics in 2022. There, he performed research on computational characterization of atmospheric pressure plasma jets. He joined PEPL in the fall of 2022 as a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering. His current research is in developing predictive numerical models for Hall-effect thrusters.

email: brickd@umich.edu

Grace graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and a minor in Italian Language and Culture. There she worked on the development of an ECR thruster and conducted research on the characterization of exhaust plumes of a Z-pinch plasma formation. She joined PEPL in the Fall of 2022 as an Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on the development of Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) thrusters.

email: gzoppi@umich.edu

National Science Foundation Fellow

email: bradenoh@umich.edu

email: aeckhaus@umich.edu

email: mironliu@umich.edu