These are answers to common questions that I get via email.
What is your main research field?
My primary research focus is applied engineering and undergraduate research, with an emphasis on hands-on system design, vehicle dynamics, and manufacturing through projects such as the SAE Baja competition. I also supervise research in astronomy related to minor-planet observations and instrumentation.
Where did you graduate from?
I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Stephen F. Austin State University and completed my PhD in physics at Texas A&M University.
What are the real-world applications of your research?
My research has direct real-world applications in off-road vehicle design, manufacturing, and safety. Through SAE Baja projects, students apply engineering theory to the design, fabrication, testing, and validation of a competition-ready vehicle, gaining hands-on experience with suspension geometry, drivetrain integration, structural analysis, and systems reliability that directly aligns with industry practice. My astronomy work contributes to observational astronomy through published research, astrometric measurements, and the refinement of minor-planet orbital elements, and to public science outreach through planetarium programming.