JPL Researchers

Dr. Michel Ingham is the Chief Technologist of JPL’s Systems Engineering Division, responsible for spearheading and coordinating research and technology efforts across the division, and integrating technology work more broadly across JPL. He has led several NASA, JPL and DARPA research and development activities, focused in the areas of spacecraft autonomy, digital engineering, and model-based software systems engineering. He has served as the Project Software Systems Engineer for the Europa Clipper Mission, NASA’s flagship mission to characterize the icy surface and underlying ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and has worked as a software systems engineer and system architect on a variety of projects, including the Mars Science Laboratory rover mission. Dr. Ingham serves as the Director of AIAA’s Information Systems Group. He received his Doctoral and Master’s degrees from MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and his Bachelor’s degree in Honours Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.   

Dr. Emily Dunkel is a Data Scientist in the Science Data Modeling and Computing Group, and the Astronomy and Physics Technology Demonstrations Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. She works on projects involving machine learning, computer vision, and physics-based modeling.

Prior to joining JPL, Emily worked in the defense industry, developing physics-based models and deep learning algorithms, as well as at TrueCar, where she was a Statistician. Emily has a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University, where she developed methods to model quantum systems. She has bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Physics from UCLA.

Ian McCubbin is a Systems Engineer specializing in remote sensing and in situ instrumentation for studies of atmospheric & Earth sciences.  His interests span the application of both JPL and commercial instrumentation for the measurement and delivery of geophysical parameters.   He provides expertise on the proper design, calibration and validation of the in-situ and remote sensing instruments in the lab, in the field and on orbit.   Most recently, he has been focusing on small satellite technology and missions.  In the past, he has led numerous complex airborne field campaigns for focused on process level understanding of climate change impacts.  Currently, he is a Program Manager in JPL’s Space Technology Office for NASA Flight Opportunities.    

Dr. Zaki Hasnain is a data scientist in NASA JPL’s Systems Engineering Division where he participates in and leads research and development tasks for space exploration. His research interests include physics informed machine learning and system health management for autonomous systems. He has experience developing data-driven, game-theoretic, probabilistic, physics-based, and machine learning models and algorithms for space, cancer, and autonomous systems applications. He received a B.S. in engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Polytechnic and State University. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering, and a M.S. in computer science at University of Southern California.