Matthew Wittal is an Automation and Robotics Systems Engineer at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory, and a Technologist for the Deep Space Logistics Project Office. He is also a Ph.D. candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) pursuing a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering focusing on autonomous guidance, navigation and control in special Euclidean group SE(3). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Space Physics and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from ERAU. His research interests include spacecraft autonomy and coupled, optimal guidance, navigation and control.
Ph.D. Students
Marco Figetti has been a graduate student of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University since January 2022. He has earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering and is currently working towards his PhD. His past work includes coupled rigid-flexible body dynamics and control, constrained motion analysis for rigid-body space vehicles, and liquid sloshing dynamics. His areas of interest include spacecraft guidance, navigation and control, astrodynamics, and rigid-body coupled dynamics.
MS Students
Herman Gunter V has been a graduate student of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University since January 2024. He has earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and is currently working towards his MS degree. His work includes coupled rigid body dynamics, estimation for rigid-body space vehicles, cislunar rigid body dynamics and numerical integrator for Lie groups. His areas of interest include rigid body parameter estimation, cislunar astrodynamics, and rigid body coupled dynamics.
Luca D'Eramo earned his bachelor's degree in 2022 and is currently a master's degree student in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, Italy, and a visiting research scholar at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His areas of interest include space exploration and space robotics.
Thomas Whelton has been a graduate student of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University since August 2024. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and is working towards an MS degree. His research focuses on dynamic and trajectory optimization on Riemannian manifolds specifically SO(3)/SE(3). His areas of interest include optimal controls and astrodynamics.
Undergraduate Students
Carla Cabero Del Hierro
Javier Robinson is an undergraduate studying Aerospace Engineering here at Embry-Riddle. My interests are space flight and computers, and I plan to eventually earn a PhD and get involved in research. I also enjoy drawing, playing games, and going camping.
Gennaro Mangiacapra (2019-2020; Politecnico di Torino / ERAU) — Currently a guidance, navigation and control engineer at Dawn Aerospace in Delft, Zuid-Holland, Nederland.
Alumni
PhD alumni
Wesley Stackhouse (2019-2020) — Currently with Advanced Solutions, Inc.
Wassif Memon (2018-2019) — Currently at the engineering department for United Airlines.
Rahil Golakiya (2021-2023) — Currently at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Brennan McCann (2019-2023) — Currently at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Outstanding PhD Student Award
MS alumni
Simone Sarzotti (2023-2024; Politecnico di Torino / ERAU)
