Alex Ross Email & Phone Number

Seattle, Wa, Us

Seattle, Wa, Us

Seattle, Washington, United States

Through leading a diverse group of over 50 scientists and engineers, I have learned the colossal effort it takes to spearhead the creation of a system as complex as a Mars rover. It requires electric and decisive leadership, pristine communication, and an unrelenting commitment to holding yourself and your team to the highest standards. I have learned all of these things by writing rigorous power and weight requirements reports, leading research on geochemical analysis and Raman spectroscopy, manufacturing parts, and recruiting and onboarding new members.Comfort zones no longer exist for me. I used to have a fear of public speaking, but I have overcome that rapidly by presenting research to over 150 people on Raman spectroscopy and detailed design plans for the instrumentation module, giving MATLAB workshops, and networking and communicating with faculty, alumni, and professionals in the field of astrobiology and robotics engineering.Being a leader for an engineering project is a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else. The challenges will be many, and it may seem that for every challenge overcome, five more take its place. It is the ultimate collaborative experience. That is what makes engineering so exciting. Seeing the final functioning product makes it all worth it, every time.

Seattle, Washington, United States

- I am the spectrometer engineering team lead, and our mission is to develop a Raman spectrometer that is capable of detecting molecules that are indicative of biological life.- I am responsible for collaborating with my team to perform research, manufacture parts, assemble the spectrometer, and integrate our system with the rest of the instrumentation module and electrical systems.- My current research is on the effects of dark current on our detector, and the optimal operating temperature we need to achieve to produce the cleanest spectra.

Seattle, Washington, United States

Building a propulsion system from scratch is no easy feat. Making one fit into a 1U space is even harder. Engineering it so that your satellite can go from a NRHO to a lower science orbit around the moon is, by all accounts, extremely difficult.My goals may be lofty, but my engineering mind is firmly rooted in the importance of the fundamentals when it comes to planning a complex orbital mission. Using MATLAB and GMAT, along with advanced orbital mechanics and vector calculus, I have meticulously planned and experimented with our orbital requirements, to ensure we are perfectly optimizing our heating system and propellant choice to achieve our goal ΔV values.Anyone who's researched propellants knows that choosing the best one is a game of pros and cons. One may have a higher theoretical mass flow rate and a higher thrust, but its operating gaseous pressure may be too high to safely experiment with. Through meticulous calculations involving advanced statistical mechanics, I have determined that R-134a, a refrigerant, is ideal for our mission goals. I have prepared hazard reports, created tables of theoretical values, and coded up many performance charts that have convinced my fellow engineers to come to the same conclusion.Disseminating this information to other propulsion engineers is critical, and I have given weekly presentations summarizing my work on propellant research, thermal regulation design, MATLAB code, and resistojet design to the rest of the propulsion engineering team. These presentations encourage excellent scientific discussion and allow the whole team to grow together. It also allows me to improve my work, incorporating feedback from others into what I do. It allows me to do the same for others, furthering the technical dialogue that is critical to engineering such a complex system.

Atacama Region, Chile

It turns out that observing the universe no longer involves one person physically peering through a refracting telescope. Cutting-edge technology requires innovative solutions, a lot of teamwork, and a multitude of error detection and resolution.I am a remote observer for the Local Volume Mapper telescope array in Chile, part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V. I collaborate with researchers worldwide to determine the best way to operate this state-of-the-art system and ensure the highest-quality data that can be disseminated to scientists around the world when it is ready.To do this, I calibrate the system at the beginning of observing nights by taking darks, flats, and biases, focusing the telescopes, opening the dome, and maintaining the custom robotic observing software known as Overwatcher. I also monitor weather and atmosphere conditions, ensure no telescopes go offline, manually slew and observe with the telescopes, and communicate with on-site engineers to solve problems. At the end of the night, I ensure the data is collected and properly stored, initiate the end-of-observing night protocols, and fill out a night log detailing any errors, bugs, or other issues.The goal of the LVM is to map the interstellar gas emission of the Milky Way and Local Group galaxies with unprecedented spatial resolution so that we can understand and study the physics of the interstellar medium and star formation. I have observed alongside researchers from Germany, Chile, and across the United States. We all do our part to contribute data and software fixes to optimize the telescopes function.When the data from this system is released to the scientific community, I know that my efforts in ensuring the highest quality data is obtained is shown in the data, as the international community works together to piece together the mysterious processes that occur in the most extreme environments of the Universe.

Seattle, Washington, United States

- Manager of a multi-faceted portfolio of funds for the Triangle Fraternity of Architects and Engineers- Implementing a robust software-based organization system, simplifying our bookkeeping and streamlining financial processes such as filling out tax forms and passing budgets.- Investing funds from events in a low-risk high-interest portfolio, leveraging CD's, US treasury bonds, and mutual funds to grow otherwise dormant funds.

Mead, Washington, United States

- Trained new employees at all positions, including register, grill, and maintenance.- Completed food safety training in order to perform managerial tasks such as ensuring proper cross-contamination prevention, overseeing employees, and stocking.- Two time employee of the month, and employee of the year for demonstrating excellent service skills, dependability, and dedication.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Physics, Astronomy, And Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Marching Band, Triangle Fraternity of Architects and Engineers, Interdisciplinary Honors Program

Minor, Applied Mathematics

4.0