AU Aerospace Engineering Department | Undergraduate Research Assistant

One undergraduate research assistant position is available to support Dr. Davide Guzzetti’s work within the Department of Aerospace Engineering on optical measurement and analysis of micron‑scale particles exposed to selected space environmental conditions (thermal cycling, UV exposure, total ionizing dose). Space debris presents an escalating hazard to spacecraft operations. Innovative remediation methods, such as using engineered dust fields, have been proposed to accelerate the decay of small debris. More information at https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/space-tech-research-grants/ecf/metamaterial-particles-for-orbital-environment-remediation/ 

Duties

• Set up and operate optical experiments.
• Prepare particle samples and environmental exposures (thermal/UV cycles, controlled humidity/pressure) following lab safety and SOPs.
• Calibrate instruments and collect measurement data; maintain organized electronic lab notebooks.
•  Analyze data using Python/MATLAB; generate plots, statistics, and brief reports.
• Design and build simple test fixtures/holders; assist with alignment, troubleshooting, and documentation.