Selected projects

Current

1. DOD NDEP MEEP: “Manufacturing Certification to Degree (C2D) Consortium”, Leading the Certification to Degree (C2D) consortium, I drive a transformative initiative in manufacturing workforce development. C2D redefines academic paradigms, offering hybrid certification programs as pathways to STEM degrees in manufacturing. Focused on underrepresented minorities and veterans, our program includes Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Advanced Manufacturing tracks. Utilizing cyber-learning methods, we provide comprehensive theoretical and hands-on training, facilitated by a shared C2D Digital Laboratory. Partnering with Arizona State University, New Mexico State University, and Navajo Technical University, C2D creates a sustainable workforce pipeline for advanced NDT and manufacturing professionals. [PI, total $3.5M, share $2M], Sep. 2023-Aug. 2026.

2. NSF CAREER: “Understanding the exceptional near-field auditory system of the aye-aye, one of the most unusual primates in the world”, [PI, total $579k, share $579k], tentatively from Aug. 2021-Aug. 2026.

3. US Department of Agriculture “Guided-Ultrasound-Enhanced-Evaporation (GUEE): Reducing Energy Consumption During Falling Film Evaporation”  [Co-PI, total $745k, share $347k] July 24^th 2025-July 23^rd 2028.

Completed

1. Department of Energy (DOE): Former lead PI/director and current consultant in “Enabling In and Ex-Situ-Quality Control of Additive Manufacturing (QCAM)” consortium. Prior leaving NMSU, I was the lead PI and director of a first-of-a-kind 3-year consortium that was supported for $3M award under the DOE MSI Partnership Program and integrates a Hispanic Serving Institution – NMSU, Native American Institution – Navajo Technical University, and a Historically Black Colleges and Universities member – Prairie View A&M University. In addition to the three academic partners, three DOE-NNSA industry/labs: 1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), 2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ONRL), and 3. Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) are partners in this consortium. This consortium includes outreach, education, and research activities in AM and NDT related to Intelligent Manufacturing, [former PI, total $3M, share $1,199k], July 2021-July 2024.

2. NASA: Next Generation Additive Manufacturing for Space Applications, [Co-PI, Total $750k, share $175k], Jan. 2021-Jan. 2024.

3. FormAlloy NASA STTR: Data-driven modeling of Directed Energy Deposition for Defect-Free Builds using Real-Time Monitoring Approaches, [PI, total $125k, share $69,873], Sept. 1^st 2020-Sept. 1^st 2021.

4. Department of Energy (DOE): Lizard-Inspired Tube Inspector (LTI) Robot, [PI, total $470k, share $240k], 09/01/2018-31/08/2022.

5. American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT): Developing bio-inspired tap-testing for inspection of wooden structures, [PI Faculty advisor, $20k], The ASNT Fellowship Award, 07/01/2021-07/01/2022.

6. Department of Defense (DOD): “Acquisition of Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner for STEM Education and Research Programs in New Mexico”, [PI, total $469k, share $305k], tentatively from July 2021-July 2022.

7. Relativity Space company: Real-time testing and monitoring of AM process with bulk ultrasound and Lamb waves using EMAT. [PI, $23,5k], 08/2019-08/20.

8. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI): Nonlinear Ultrasound Surface Wave based Method for In-Motion Diagnosis of Compressive Load and Partially Closed RCF in Railhead. [PI, $10k], 10/2019-01/2020. 

9. NASA: Development of a Versatile Optical Technique for Far Range Strain Measurement [PI, $25k], 09/01/2017-05/15/2018.

10. NMDOT: Assessment of New Mexico’s Fee Structure for Overweight and Oversize Vehicles Compared to Practices in Other Western States, [PI, $25k], 01/15/2018-10/15/2018.

11. New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT): Development of technical guidance for the assessment of oversize and overweight vehicle permit fees in New Mexico (Phase II), [Co-PI, total $156k, share $86k], 01/01/2020-01/01/2022.

12. American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT): Evaluation of Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) cracks on railheads using nonlinear ultrasound in phase-space domain, [PI Faculty advisor, $20k], The ASNT Fellowship Award, 07/01/2020-07/01/2021.

Notification of Award