Faculty
The following researchers represents faculty involved on ASTREC research projects. The faculty research focus is given in their bio, along with contact information, and links to their websites. Contact them directly for research specific questions.
Director
William Edmonson
Professor & Co-Director of ASTREC, Signal processing, systems engineering, computer engineering
University of Florida
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Greensboro, NC 27411
wwedmons@ncat.edu
William W. Edmonson (Ph.D., NC State University, 1990), Professor, Dept. of Elect. and Comp. Engineering, NC A&T State University. Dr. Edmonson is Co-Director Advanced Space Technologies Research & Engineering Center (ASTREC) which represents a NSF sponsored Industrial/University Collaborative Research Center performing research on pico and nano class of satellites, with concentration on the command and data handling, communication subsystems, and design of systems engineering methodologies and framework. This includes the research and developing of design tools and processes, based on model-based systems engineering, to do small satellite architecting and development that results in a system that is low power and mass within a small footprint. Dr. Edmonson was recently on an IPA at NASA-LaRC as a Lead Systems Engineer on the GPS Radio Occultation instrument for the CLARREO mission. Dr. Edmonson has several years of research and teaching experience in digital signal processing, special purpose computer architecture, and adaptive systems. He has 10 international journal publications and has written 2 book chapters. His current research program involves the development of global optimization algorithms of interval methods and computational intelligence for signal processing and control. Interest also lies in the development special purpose digital signal processors for implementing interval arithmetic and systems biology along with their associated design tools.
Co-Director
Norman Fitz-Coy
Associate Professor & Director of ASTREC, Dynamics and control multibody systems, orbital dynamics, flight mechanics, vehicle health, game theory
University of Florida
P.O. Box 116250
Gainesville, FL 32611
nfc@ufl.edu
http://www.mae.ufl.edu/ssg/
Current Activities : Design of control strategies for systems with multi-objective criteria, dynamics and control of multiple flexible-body dynamical systems, deployment dynamics for satellites and spacecraft, autonomous rendezvous and docking, ground vehicle dynamics, cooperative control for formation flight, system health monitoring, and strategies for reconfigurable systems.
University of Florida
Warren Dixon
Associate Professor, Guidance, Navigation, and Control
University of Florida
P.O. Box 116250
Gainesville, FL 32611
wdixon@ufl.edu
http://ncr.mae.ufl.edu/
Improved performance and new enabling technologies may be realized by maintaining the complete nonlinear model of the system in the control design. This approach gives rise to significant challenges since nonlinear equations of motion typically do not have an analytical solution, and the system model may be incomplete due to difficulties in modeling certain phenomena such as nonlinear friction, parametric uncertainty, or unmeasurable signals, which are required to complete the model. To address control design and analysis problems, the Nonlinear Controls and Robotics group's research is focused on the development and application of a Lyapunov control methodology, which incorporates the full nonlinear system dynamics in the design and analysis without requiring the solution of the nonlinear equations of motion. Research efforts are specifically focused on adaptive, robust, and learning control designs for nonlinear systems to address issues related to uncertain nonlinear dynamics with potential limited or uncalibrated/corrupt sensor information.
Norman Fitz-Coy
Associate Professor & Director of ASTREC, Dynamics and control multibody systems, orbital dynamics, flight mechanics, vehicle health, game theory
University of Florida
P.O. Box 116250
Gainesville, FL 32611
nfc@ufl.edu
http://www.mae.ufl.edu/ssg/
Current Activities : Design of control strategies for systems with multi-objective criteria, dynamics and control of multiple flexible-body dynamical systems, deployment dynamics for satellites and spacecraft, autonomous rendezvous and docking, ground vehicle dynamics, cooperative control for formation flight, system health monitoring, and strategies for reconfigurable systems.
Janise McNair
Associate Professor, Electrical Engineer
University of Florida
P.O. Box 116130
Gainesville, FL 32611
mcnair@ece.ufl.edu
http://www.wam.ede.ufl.edu
Janise McNair is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Florida, where she leads the Wireless And Mobile (WAM) Systems Laboratory. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Board of the Elsevier Ad Hoc Networks Journal and the Springer Wireless Networks Journal. Formerly, she has served as an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, workshop co-chair for IEEE INFOCOM 2010, vice general chair of IEEE TridentCom 2007 and TPC co-chair of IFIP Networking 2007. Janise is also a participant in the 2008 DARPA Computer Science Study Group. Her current research interests are next generation wireless networks, including small satellite networking and communications, terrestrial ad hoc networks and cognitive networks, specifically addressing security, routing and medium access control.
NC A&T State University
William Edmonson
Professor & Co-Director of ASTREC, Signal processing, systems engineering, computer engineering
NC A&T State University
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Greensboro, NC 27411
wwedmons@ncat.edu
William W. Edmonson (Ph.D., NC State University, 1990), Professor, Dept. of Elect. and Comp. Engineering, NC A&T State University. Dr. Edmonson is Co-Director Advanced Space Technologies Research & Engineering Center (ASTREC) which represents a NSF sponsored Industrial/University Collaborative Research Center performing research on pico and nano class of satellites, with concentration on the command and data handling, communication subsystems, and design of systems engineering methodologies and framework. This includes the research and developing of design tools and processes, based on model-based systems engineering, to do small satellite architecting and development that results in a system that is low power and mass within a small footprint. Dr. Edmonson was recently on an IPA at NASA-LaRC as a Lead Systems Engineer on the GPS Radio Occultation instrument for the CLARREO mission. Dr. Edmonson has several years of research and teaching experience in digital signal processing, special purpose computer architecture, and adaptive systems. He has 10 international journal publications and has written 2 book chapters. His current research program involves the development of global optimization algorithms of interval methods and computational intelligence for signal processing and control. Interest also lies in the development special purpose digital signal processors for implementing interval arithmetic and systems biology along with their associated design tools.
Quing-An Zeng
Assistant Professor, Networking
NC A&T State University
Greensboro, NC 27411
qzeng@ncat.edu
NC State University
Xiangwu Zhang
Assistant Professor, Fundamental materials studies such as synthesis and physical characterization, as well as energy system design and fabrication.
NC State University
Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science
Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
xiangwu_shang@ncsu.edu
http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/xzhang
Zhang's research interests focus on nanostructured and multifunctional polymer, composite, fiber, and textile materials with an emphasis on energy storage and conversion applications. His research encompasses both fundamental materials studies such as synthesis and physical characterization, as well as energy system design and fabrication. Associated ASTREC projects: DOE, New High-Energy Nanofiber Anode Materials.
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