About Us
Curious. Hard-Working. Creative.
Nice to meet you! After months of hard work, we are thrilled to invite you to explore our research project, and get to know a bit more about ourselves. We hope you’ll enjoy our project - feel free to contact us using the form provided below.
Kim Wright
Mechanical Team Lead
Kimberly is from Chesapeake, Virginia studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace. She is highly involved in Old Dominion's Society of Women Engineers collegiate section and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, serving on both executive boards. She aspires to work in an innovative work environment, contributing to the Mars Mission.
Susannah Miller
Constellation Coordinator
Born and raised in the historical town of Williamsburg, Virginia, Susannah is studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in mechanical systems and design. As a professional graphic designer for 14 years, she has enjoyed seeing how the principles of engineering can be applied to almost any area of life. After graduation, she hopes to work on other satellites and eventually become a professor.
James Flynn
Electrical/Software Team Lead
James hails from magical city of Richmond, Virginia, and is currently pursuing his Bachelor's, and potentially his Master’s, in electrical engineering. His main passion in electrical engineering is vacuum tube electronics and particle physics. He is also the president of the ODU Drone Club. Outside of engineering, he is a seasoned musician, woodworker, horticulturist, sport shooter, and all-around outdoorsman.
Cody E Steele
Sub Team Lead for Orbits, Calculations, and Thermal Analysis
Cody is from Woodbridge, Virginia studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a minor in applied mathematics and a concentration in Aerospace at Old Dominion University. He strives to work on aircraft or satellite in the future. Outside of engineering, he is musically inclined on a drum set and strives to work his best at writing his own music and possibly performing in the future!
Thomas Crouse
STK/Orbits Sub Team Lead, Design Team Member
Tom is from Tallmadge, Ohio studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering and a concentration in design. Before attending Old Dominion University, he served as an avionics technician on V-22s in the Marine Corps. He is a pursuing a career in aerospace, ideally working with jet engines or aerospace structures.
Justin Hernandez
PET Sub-Team Lead
Justin is from Chula Vista, California. He came to Virginia to attend Old Dominion University after exiting the Marine Corps. Outside of the classroom he is the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineer’s Vice President and a NASA Pathways student.
Joseph Vogel
ADCS Lead
Joseph is from Wood River, IL, and originally moved to Norfolk while serving in the military.
Westin Messer
Design Team Lead
Westin is from Virginia Beach, Virginia studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. Outside of the classroom he serves on the executive board for Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society. After graduation he will peruse a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with the goal to work in space medicine research.
Zachary Campbell
Design Team Member, FEA Lead
Originally from Lynchburg, Virginia, Zachary is a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering major with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Management minor student at Old Dominion University. In 2016, Zachary earned his Associate Degree of Engineering from Central Virginia Community College, in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholar, member of the National Society of Black Engineers, and interned at NASA Langley Research Center summer 2015 and 2016. Zachary has a passion for public service, space, and science and hopes to bring them all together with a career in the space industry working with satellites.
Robert Bossinger
ADCS Member
From Charlottesville, Virginia, Robert is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Design Engineering and is minoring in Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University. In the summer of 2017, Robert had his first internship at NAVSEA in Dam Neck Naval Base in Virginia Beach as a radar engineer. Immediately after his Navy internship, Robert received a job offer from NASA Langley as a NIFS Intern for the Fall session working in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch with the Novel Solar Sail project.
Wade Yeary
Design and Orbits Team Member
Wade grew up in the suburbs of Midlothian, Virginia and came to ODU because his favorite color is blue. He plans to graduate this spring majoring in mechanical engineering, while concentrating in aerospace and minoring in engineering management. Wade was also President of the club baseball team for three years and had a show on WODU called The Sports Philosophy for three semesters.
Jordan Byrd
Design, Calculations and Thermal Analysis Team Member
Jordan was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He attends Old Dominion University and plans to graduate spring of 2018 with a major in Mechanical Engineer with a concentration in Mechanical Systems and Design and a minor in Engineer Management. On his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing basketball. He has aspirations working in the metropolitan area designing transportation buses and rail cars.
Samuel Jensen
Mechanical Design
Leaving the Northern Neck of Virginia for the coastal city of Norfolk, Samuel is pursuing a Bachelors in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University. Aside from engineering, he is the leading front of a business venture to allow him to take music and writing to a professional degree. He hopes to work in the space industry in the future, building propulsion systems.
Jack Hawkins
Design, Calculations, and Thermal Analysis
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Jack is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University. While Jack works towards his degree in the field of engineering, he will continue to head his drone photography business as well as his management of other STEM related clubs on campus. His dream has always been to land a career in the space industry to work with launch systems and design spacecrafts.
Dr. Robert Ash
Faculty Advisor
Professor and Eminent Scholar, Dr. Robert Ash received his Ph. D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Tulane University. His expertise is in Aerospace Engineering, specifically Space Systems Engineering, Mars Exploration, Airplane Wake Hazards, Extraterrestrial Resources, and Non-equilibrium and High-speed Flow Phenomena.
Dr. Dimitrie Popescu
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Dimitrie Popescu received the Engineering Diploma and M.S. degrees from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Romania, and the Ph.D. degree from Rutgers University, all in Electrical Engineering. His research interests span the areas of communication systems, control theory, and signal processing.