MEET THE TEAM LEADER

During my time at NASA Ames Research Center in the Aviation Systems Division, I contributed to several groundbreaking projects focused on advancing air traffic management and aviation safety. I worked on a NAS-wide air traffic simulation using the Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES), which involved modeling complex aviation scenarios to optimize traffic flow. My responsibilities also included airport surface modeling to enhance operational efficiency and wind-optimal routing to improve fuel economy and flight performance. I developed methodologies for aircraft takeoff weight estimation, radar data tracking, and scheduling for traffic flow management to reduce delays and increase system predictability. Additionally, I assessed the risk of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations and contributed to efforts on UAS integration into the national airspace, addressing critical challenges in future air traffic systems. This diverse experience honed my technical and problem-solving skills, preparing me to tackle complex challenges in aviation and aerospace.

​Before joining NASA, I founded HAAKWORKS, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing custom Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) airframes tailored to meet unique customer needs. HAAKWORKS specialized in creating durable flying wing-style aircraft constructed from Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) foam. These airframes featured a spacious central bay to accommodate customers’ flight control systems and payloads, offering exceptional flexibility for various applications. The use of EPP foam not only provided resilience against multiple crashes but also minimized risks during flight testing, enabling a faster and more efficient development cycle. Through HAAKWORKS, I delivered innovative, high-performance UAS solutions that empowered clients to accelerate their projects and push the boundaries of aerial technology.