I am looking for one new Ph.D. student to start in Spring 2027 to work on the intersection of robotic kinematics and dynamics and additive manufacturing.
In-Progress Dissertations and Theses
- Yiyan Ruan, Ph.D. candidate.
- Melanie Anderson, Ph.D. candidate.
- Mahati Kuram, M.S. thesis student.
- Timothy Perez, M.S. thesis student.
Completed Dissertations and Theses
Graduates of FASER Lab are doing amazing research and work in the field of space robotics across the United States. The six students who graduated with dissertations or theses (and where they are now) are:
Dr. Amy Quartaro: Civil servant and robotics research engineer, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
- Doctoral dissertation: Parametric Modeling of Deformable Linear Objects for Robotic Outfitting and Maintenance of Space Systems, 2025.
- Dr. Quartaro was the only recipient of the prestigious NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) fellowship in Virginia in 2021, and the third Virginia Tech student overall to earn one. Only one student in the state of Virginia has earned one since.
Dr. Holly Everson: Engineer, AstroForge, Seal Beach, CA.
- Doctoral dissertation: Active Force Correction of Off-Nominal Structures Using Intelligent Scaffolding, 2024.
Dr. Samantha Glassner Chapin: Civil servant and space robotics research engineer, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC. Chair of the AIAA Space Automation and Robotics Technical Committee.
- Doctoral dissertation: Semantic and Fiducial Aided Graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping for Robotic In-Space Assembly and Servicing of Large Truss Structures, 2024.
Dr. Joshua Moser: Civil servant and autonomy research engineer, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.
- Doctoral dissertation: Task Modeling, Sequencing, and Allocation for In-Space Autonomous Assembly by Robotic Systems, 2022.
William Chapin: Currently senior engineer at Shield AI, Washington DC. Previously test electronics lead for OSAM-1 mission, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.
- Master’s thesis: Methods for Kinematic Analysis and Optimization of Overactuated Serial and Parallel Structures, 2023.
- Mr. Chapin was the primary contributor to the development of much of the infrastructure of FASER Lab and my earlier lab at NASA Langley Research Center, an achievement not represented in a publication count but nonetheless invaluable.
- Mr. Chapin also spearheaded the FASER Lab effort to print and assemble 10,000 face masks for use by local hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jacob Martin: Civil servant and research engineer, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.
- Master’s thesis: Viability of COTS Manipulators for Autonomous Robotic Construction, 2022.
- Much like Mr. Chapin, Mr. Martin’s efforts in establishing and constructing the infrastructure of FASER Lab have proven invaluable and cannot be summarized by a publication count.
Masters by Project
- Viktor Idhammar, Master’s Project, 2026.
- Charles Casey, Master’s Project, 2026.
- Wade Rosenbaum, Master’s Project, 2025.
Undergraduate Researchers
- Spring 2026: D. Cassels-Smith.
- Fall 2025: D. Cassels-Smith, T. Perez.
- Fall 2024: C. Asmann.
- Spring 2024: S. Balusu.
- Fall 2023: F. Azam, S. Balusu, K. Yuvaraj.
- Fall 2022: E. Chisholm.
- Spring 2022: A. Brogowski, J. Shing, M. Umana Martinez.
- Fall 2021: A. Brogowski, M. Chitre, J. Hoegerman, R. Hollar, D. Hull, J. Merizian, C. Nicklas, S. Pasti, J. Reyes Ledoux, M. Umana Martinez.
- Spring 2021: P. Fermin.
- Fall 2020: S. Buono, P. Fermin.
- Spring 2020: S. Schoedel, P. Fermin, A. Fuller, A. Guevara, X. Liu, T. Shadid.
- Fall 2019: S. Chakrabarti, J. Kuempel, X. Liu, J. Martin, D. McCulley, S. Natnael, Y. Ruan, J. Sen, T. Shadid.
- Spring 2019: D. Bisio, E. Hoffmann, D. Aden, A. Sahay, J. Strollo.
Other Doctoral and Masters Committees
- A. Sarker, PhD 2025.
- N. Raeker-Jordan, PhD 2024.
- J. Kubalak, PhD 2020.
- L. Kempf, MS 2025.
- S. Anshebo, MS 2025.
- R. Dagadkhair, MS 2025.
- A. Rajput, MS 2025.
- N. Nambiar, MS 2025.
- R. Molitor, MS 2024.
- J. Hoegerman, MS 2024.
- K. Beaumont, MS 2023.
- E. Link, MS 2023.
- Jo. Martin, MS 2020.
- I. Papakis, MS 2019.
- S. Feng, MS 2018.