Scientific Board
Bucharest, Romania
Biography
Prof. Eng. Nicolae Jula is a PhD coordinator at the Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania with more than 40 years of experience in defense and aerospace research and development programs both at national and international and in 10 projects holding the position of project manager. Prof. Nicolae Jula also worked within the National Aerospace Institute in Romania – formerly named INCREST. He has published more than 20 books, 100 articles and 150 conference proceedings. All publications are within electrical engineering applications in aviation, aerospace and defense. At the same he participated in the development of national civil and military aviation standards for Romanian industry and Ministry of Defense.
Bucharest, Romania
Biography
Teodor Lucian Grigorie was born in 1975 in Craiova, Romania where he received the BsC and MsC in Aerospace Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Craiova in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 2006 he obtained the PhD at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Politehnica University of Bucharest in Aerospace Engineering field. From 1998 to 2005 he worked as assistant professor at Avionics Division of University of Craiova, while from 2005 to 2009 he was senior lecturer in inertial navigation systems at the same institution. Since 2009 he has been associate professor at the Avionics Division of University of Craiova. Between May 2008 and February 2009 he was postdoctoral fellow at the University of Quebec, Canada, institution wherewith he collaborates in research projects since 2002. He authored or co-authored 2 books and more than 100 papers in journals and conference proceedings of international and domestic scientific events. His research activities concern navigation systems, miniaturized inertial sensors, aircraft’s board equipments, automatic control systems (including intelligent control systems), and morphing aircraft structures. He participated in 9 research projects with the Romanian Ministry of Education and Science, and in 7 international research projects with University of Quebec, Ecole de Technologie Superieure en Montreal, Canada.
Italy
Biography
Bachelor degree in aerospace engineering at La Sapienza University of Rome with thesis on ‘Performance and trajectory analysis of sounding rockets’ Master degree in space and astronautical engineering at La Sapienza University of Rome with thesis on ‘Simulations of the optimum truncated real nozzle, in presence of viscous turbulent boundary layer’ Second level master degree in space transportation systems: launchers and re-entry vehicles at La Sapienza University of Rome with stage in AVIO and thesis on: ‘Functional model of H2O2 monopropellant attitude control system’ Research period (PhD) Horizon 2020 at FAU University on the project: ‘optical measurements for fuel mixing in constant volume chamber (CVC)’ Special master degree in aerospace engineering at the School of Aerospace Engineering at La Sapienza of Rome with thesis on ‘Optimization of the combustion efficiency for hybrid rocket engines’ PhD at La Sapienza Uniersity of Rome with thesis on ‘Plasma thrusters design for sustainable space transportation’
Ohio University
USA
Biography
Dr. Maj Mirmirani is currently serving as the Interim Dean of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University, a position he has held since June 2022. Prior to assuming his leadership role at Ohio University, he was the dean and a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) College of Engineering at Daytona Beach Florida from 2007-2022. Embry-Riddle is the world’s largest and most prestigious university specializing in aviation and aerospace. Prior to joining ERAU, Dr. Mirmirani was a professor of Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). At CSULA, in addition to serving as the chair of the department for twelve years, he was also a co-director of the NASA-funded SPACE Center and the director of the Multidisciplinary Flight Dynamics and Control Laboratory, which he founded in 2000 – a laboratory funded by multi-year multi-million-dollar grants and contracts from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, NASA Armstrong Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Science Foundation.
USA
Biography
Maria M. Kuznetsova (aka Masha Kuznetsova) is an astrophysicist in the Space Weather Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the director of the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC). Her main scientific interests are in the area of space plasma physics and space environment modeling. For over 30 years she is actively involved in a study of critical magnetosphere phenomena including magnetic reconnection, mechanisms of collisionless dissipation, current-driven instabilities, particle acceleration, structure and stability of magnetospheric thin current sheets, theory and modeling of FTEs. Her research interests also include global MHD modeling of magnetosphere dynamics and implementation of kinetic effects in MHD models. Dr. Kuznetsova was heavily involved in CCMC activities since it establishement in 1998 andsignificantly contributed to establishing CCMC as one of the world leading space weather modeling and service centers. At CCMC Dr. Kuznetsova leads science-based validation efforts for a wide variety of space weather models, tools and space weather forecasting techniques. Dr. Kuznetsova earned her PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics from the Space Research Institute (IKI) in Moscow, Russia in 1987 and an M.S. in Physics, Physics of Plasma from Moscow State University in 1981. She has worked at the theoretical physics department of Space Research Institute from 1981-1993. In 1993 she joined NASA/GSFC as a National Research Council Research Associate. After the NRC fellowship, Dr. Kuznetsova became a Raytheon principal scientist. She reunited with GSFC as civil service astrophysicist in 2004. Dr. Kuznetsova leads the CCMC support of Modeling Challenges and Focus Groups at the Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) and Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR). She launched an International Forum on Space Weather Capabilities Assessment and initiated Space Weather REDI (Research, Education, Development Initiative) program aiming to facilitate hands-on space weather education. Masha Kuznetsova is an organizer of many International Space Weather Schools and is a member of Science Organizing Committees at many domestic and international conferences including International Living With a Star (ILWS) - COSPAR Science for Space Weather Workshop and US/UN Workshop on International Space Weather Initiative. She currently serves as CCMC liaison at NASA LWS and NSF GEM Steering Committees and is a member of NASA’s Space Environment Capabilities Leadership (CLT) Team. Dr. Kuznetsova is a recipient of 2013 NASA Robert H Goddard Exceptional Achievement Award. In 2017 she was awarded NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.
LeoLabs University
USA
Biography
Dr. Darren McKnight is currently Senior Technical Fellow for LeoLabs. Working closely with partners and customers throughout the industry, he creates new data depictions, develops risk algorithms, and leads space incident investigations. As a member of the International Academy of Astronautics’ Space Debris Committee, Darren has been active in position paper development, selection of symposia papers, and execution of the annual International Astronautical Congress. His current focus is on developing technical solutions and encouraging global behavior that leads to sustained space operations assurance through limiting the risk of debris collision hazard to space systems in Earth orbit.
Spain
Biography
Enric Garcia Torrents, MD-PhD candidate and professor in training, cognitive scientist specialized in psychological anthropology, ethnopsychiatry, social approaches to mental health, and human bio-cultural diversity and its applications in medicine. Currently doctoral researcher at the Medical Anthropology Research Center, University Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain), and medical student at the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona, working at the interface between social and health sciences. His main research project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Universities until October 2026, is an action-research one focused on assessing ways to eliminate coercion in mental health settings through patient and stakeholders engagement. His previous research experience includes working for the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics (CodeX) of Stanford Law School (California, USA), the James E. Rogers College of Law of the University of Arizona (USA), and the Institute de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement, The Graduate Institute Geneva (Switzerland), focusing on social networks analysis and the impact of cognitive biases in the decision making process in investor-state and state-state disputes at the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body and other international arbitration courts, and on psychiatric genetics and neurotrophic factors in relation to cortical thickness at FIDMAG Research Foundation, Complejo Asistencial Benito Menni de Hermanas Hospitalarias. His academic background includes two years of a dual degree in neuroscience and smart systems at Keele University (West Midlands, UK), four years of evolutionary anthropology at University Rovira i Virgili and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain), a Master's degree in biological anthropology with a specialization in psychiatric genetics and human diversity at the Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), and several postgraduate degrees in collective mental health and dialogical practices.
National Aerospace Laboratories
India
Biography
Hi-Tec Aviation Safety & Security Systems, WA., USA & New Delhi, India Technical Advisor – Aerospace (2011- 2012) HCL TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED (HCL), Bangalore & Chennai Consultant – Aerospace & Defense Practice (2010-2011) NATIONAL AEROSPACE LABORATORIES, Bangalore Chief Scientist, & Head, Aerospace Electronics & Systems Division, Head, Technical Secretariat, and Advisor to Director. NATIONAL AERONAUTICAL LABORATORY, Bangalore (1972-76) Sr. Scientific Asst: Avionics> design and development of Airborne Navigation Computer using state of art electronics Jr. Research Fellow: Design of Control Unit for the Airborne Navigation Computer. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEAN TECHNOLOGY, Chennai Scientist & Consultant – (2010-2014) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY, Dona Paula, Goa Head, Marine Electronics/Instrumentation & Computer Div. (1976-2004) Projects: Satellite communication systems for Antarctica, Moored Data Buoys, Drifting Buoys, Adviser to Director, NIO: from 1994-2004. Board of Studies, Deptt. Of Aeronautical Engineering, Adhiyamaan Coll. of Engg. Hosur, Tamil Nadu
England
Biography
Dr Haibao Liu is a Lecturer at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London. He completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Queen's University Belfast in 2018. Prior to his current role, he worked as a Research Associate at Imperial College London and as a Lecturer at Cranfield University. Haibao's research is focused on the performance assessment of composite materials for structural application. His research have earned him several recognitions, including the Excellent Paper Awards from the International Conference on Lightweight Materials and Manufacture (2019) and the Bronze Award of Written Paper Prizes from the Royal Aeronautical Society (2019).
Romania
Biography
Nicolae Crainic graduated in Materials Science and Engineering in 1982, from Materials Science and Engineering Faculty at the University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania, received a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering in 1998, and is an Associate Professor, in the Department of Mechanical Machines, Technology and Transportation, Mechanical Faculty, Politehnica University of Timisoara and a member of National Center for Engineering of Systems with Complex Fluids (NCESCF) with field of interest as polymer matrix nanocomposites materials, Casting Design and Solidification of Materials, Materials and Proceedings for Moulding.
Biography
Prior to joining the faculty at Washington University in 2001, Professor Agarwal was the Chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Wichita State University from 1994 to 1996 and the Executive Director of National Institute for Aviation Research from 1996 to 2001. From 1994 to 2001, he was also the Bloomfield Distinguished Professor at Wichita State University. From 1978 to 1994, Professor Agarwal worked in various scientific and managerial positions at McDonnell Douglas Research Laboratories in St. Louis. He became the Program Director and McDonnell Douglas Fellow in 1990. From 1976 to 1978, Professor Agarwal worked as a NRC Research Associate at NASA Ames Research Center and as a Principal Research Engineer at Rao and Associates in Palo Alto, California from 1975 to 1976.
Biography
Francesco Pellicano is Aeronautical Engineer and Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, he is currently Full Professor, Head of the Centre Intermech MoRe and was committee president of 2 BsC and 2 MsC programmes. He was coordinator of EU Regional projects: METaGEAR (Gears, Materials, Robotics), INDGEAR (condition monitoring) and HPGA Fortissimo (applications of high performance computing); he was coordinator of several international and national projects. He published 2 Books, more than 80 Journal papers and more than 100 conference papers. Bibliometry: 176 papers on Scopus, h-index 36, more than 3000 citations. His research activities are: Fluid-structure interaction: cooperating with Prof. Amabili and Païdoussis developed models for vibration and stability analyses of shells interacting with incompressible heavy fluids, compressible and supersonic fluids; recently interactions with non-Newtonian fluids were investigated. Gear stress and vibration modelling and testing, the research was focused on vibration aspects of gears including nonsmooth dynamics and chaotic vibration, optimization using Genetic Algorithms, Diagnostics and Prognostics. Vibration control using active passive techniques: active control through piezo-electric actuators, active control of suspension through variable stiffness for earthquake applications; linear and nonlinear dynamic absorbers and applications to railways bridges; quasi-zero stiffness suspension for earthquake applications; origami isolators and applications to automotive. Shell dynamics and stability: modal interactions, nonlinear random responses and synchronization phenomena, thermal effects and their impact on the dynamic scenario. Vibration of carbon nanotubes: development of new continuous shell models for investigating the vibration characteristics of single and multiwalled nanotubes considering size effects and van der Waals interactions.
Biography
Yong Tang is an associate professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, China. Tangreceived his B.C and Ph.D. in the Department of Energy and Power Engineering from Tsinghua University, China in 2015 and 2020, respectively. Tang’s research interests includeplasma-assisted combustion, optical diagnostics, and combustion of energetic fuels.Tang was selected as a recipient of a 2022 Bernard Lewis Fellowship from theinternational Combustion Institute, and served as a Guest Editor for the special issue "New-Concept Combustion in Aeroengine" of the journal of Aerospace.
USA
Biography
Dr. Timothy Sands is on the engineering faculty at Cornell University since 2020, where his research and teaching focus on astronautical engineering and systems engineering. From 2010 through 2020, he was an executive and senior leader of both military postgraduate universities (the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Naval Postgraduate School respectively), serving sequentially as Chief Academic Officer, Associate Provost, Dean, Associate Dean, and research center Director in addition to serving as a Fellow of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He executed the DARPA Challenge for digital manufacturing analysis, correlation, and estimation (DMACE), investigating the science behind the burgeoning field of digital manufacturing.
Thailand
Biography
Rami Ahmad El-Nabulsi holds a PhD in Particle Physics, Mathematical Physics and Modeling from Provence University (currently Aix-Marseille University), France and a diploma of advanced studies in Plasma Physics and Radiation Astrophysics from the same institution. He worked with different worldwide research departments in UK, South Korea, China, Greece, Thailand, India, etc. and he is currently affiliated to Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He is the author of more than 325 peer-reviewed papers in peer-refereed reputed journals and a reviewer for more than 125 scientific journals. His research ranges from applied mathematics to theoretical physics including nonlinear dynamical systems, space and astrophysics, general relativity, geometrical and algebraic physics, physics and chemistry of solids, plasma MHD, neutronics and nuclear reactors, superconductivity, and magnetic materials among others.
Belgium
Biography
Jean Vanderdonckt is a full professor at the Louvain School of Management (LSM), Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in Belgium. He was President of the Louvain School of Management Research Institute (ILSM) from December 2011 to October 2015. He is Director of the Louvain Interaction Lab, a laboratory that carries out research and development and consultancy in human-machine interface engineering. He is also Scientific Coordinator of the European project ITEA2 UsiXML which brings together 22 members from 7 European countries. He is a senior member of ACM and IEEE. He is co-editor of the Springer Human-Computer Interaction book series. He is ACM.