Professor of Astronautics and Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Education
- Doctoral Degree, Plasma Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Master's Degree, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Bachelor's Degree, Engineering Mechanics/Thermophysics, Tsinghua University
Biography
Education:
1991 Ph.D., Plasma Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1988 S.M., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1985 B.Eng., Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University
Employment History:
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
2008-present: Associate Professor, Professor. Department of Astronautical Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
2001-2008: Associate Professor. Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
2007-2008: Co-Director. Center for Space Science and Engineering Research
2003-2005: Faculty Fellow. Virginia Bioinformatics Institute
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
2001-2008: Principal Member Engineering Staff (Faculty Part Time)
1991-2001: Member Technical Staff, Senior Member Engineering Staff, Principal Member Engineering Staff
Visiting Positions:
French National Aerospace Research Laboratory (ONERA), Toulouse, France
2009 (6 months): Senior Visiting Scientist
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
2008 (4 months): Visiting Professor
Kyushu Institute of Technolog, Kitakyushu, Japan
2001 (2 months): Visiting Professor
Research Summary
Astronautical Plasma Dynamics and Space Plasma Physics;
Extraterrestrial Environments and Their Interactions with Spacecraft/Astronauts;
Advanced Spacecraft Propulsion (including Electric, Chemical, Beamed Energy);
Computational Physics and Parallel Computing;
Laboratory Simulation of In-Space Operation;
Spacecraft and Instrument Design
Awards
- 2009 Natioanal Academy of Engineering German-American Frontiers of Engineering, Invited Participant
- 2008 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, Invited Participant
- 2006 Virginia Tech College of Engineering Dean's Award for Excellence in Research
- 2004 Natioanal Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering, Invited Participant
- 2000 Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Lew Allen Award for Excellence for Significant Individual Accomplishments
