Dr. Mishal Thapa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Clarkson University, since August 2025. His research interests include uncertainty quantification, stochastic optimization, and machine/deep learning for the probabilistic design of aerospace structures and wind turbine blades, with the goal of improving performance and reliability.

Prior to joining Clarkson, Dr. Thapa was a Senior Research Professional at the Remote Sensing Center, University of Alabama, where he led aero-structural projects for airborne radar systems. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from the University of Alabama in 2017 and 2019, respectively, as a Graduate Council Fellow, and subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Arizona in 2020.

Dr. Thapa serves as a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Non-Deterministic Approaches Technical Committee, has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, and acts as a reviewer for numerous conferences/journals.

Research Skills/Interests:

Composite Structures, Meta-materials/Lattice structures, Uncertainty quantification, Stochastic Optimization, Machine/Deep Learning (LSTMs).

Education/Work Experience:

• Senior Research Personnel, The University of Alabama, 01/2021- 06/2025

• Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Arizona, 2020

• Ph. D., Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, 2019

• M.S., Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, 2017

Shawn Murphy is a graduate student pursuing a Master's in Mechanical Engineering. His work centers on the probabilistic design of composite structures, specifically addressing the stochastic nature of Variable Angle Tow (VAT) manufacturing. By integrating reliability analysis with high-fidelity modeling, he aims to develop robust design strategies using computational tools like MATLAB and ANSYS.  

Research Interests: Uncertainty Quantification; Optimization; Variable Angle Tow Composites; Advanced Manufacturing; Finite element analysis

Email: shmmurph@clarkson.edu 

Kevin Bou-Abdallah is a junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and minoring in Data Science. He's a member of Clarkson's Honors Program. He has previous internship experience at GE Aerospace. His research interests include the modeling, library development, and analysis of lattice structure unit cells for lightweight engineering applications. Software such as ANSYS APDL and MATLAB assist with these models.

Research Interests: Lattice structures; Finite element analysis; CAD modeling; Additive manufacturing

Email: bouabdk@clarkson.edu