Ben Ringel Email & Phone Number

Urbana, IL, US

Urbana-Champaign Area

Perform research on hypersonic thermal protection materials.

Mountain View, California, United States (Remote)

• Contributed to NASA’s in-house code Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA)
• Advanced carbon textile panoptic segmentation capabilities with Detectron2 deep learning
• Designed image data augmentation tools for machine learning input
• Executed deep learning training sessions on NASA’s Pleiades Supercomputer GPU nodes
• Implemented weave tow tracking algorithm for consistent instance and class assignment
• Developed data visualization and interactive segmentation tools using Python’s matplotlib

Mountain View, California, United States (Remote)

• Tested viability of ORS Dragonfly deep learning tools for micro-CT data analysis
• Developed and trained machine learning models to segment ablator micro-CT data
• Investigated methods of PICA-NuSil (PICA-N) micro-CT data segmentation
• Measured ablator material properties (e.g., porosity) of FiberForm, PICA, and PICA-N
• Quantitatively compared segmentation efficacy of deep learning model architectures
• Analyzed lightweight ablator micro-CT data using ImageJ and Dragonfly

Mossville, Illinois, United States

• Completed training in ANSYS Workbench, Mechanical, SpaceClaim, and DesignModeler
• Created FEA of diesel engine in ANSYS to output cylinder liner deformation
• Conducted design of experiments on various engine configurations to find optimal design
• Designed MATLAB program capable of calculating peak liner distortion using Fourier series
• Created MATLAB software able to analyze multiple cylinder liners and output relevant data
• Designed live GUI for custom liner distortion software displaying relevant engineering data

Peoria, Illinois Area

• Designed and created bolted joint stress calculators to be used by customers and suppliers
• Researched methods to reduce cost in large threaded fasteners
• Revised Caterpillar dowel design guide
• Led and organized the team quarterly review meeting
• Analyzed cost, weight, and volume of fasteners
• Learned how to apply engineering knowledge to business

Peoria, Illinois, United States

• Led community building on dorm floor by directing group activities
• Organized and executed two programs per week
• Communicated necessary information to residents
• Created a fun and secure environment on dorm floor
• Responded to emergency situations and ensured safety of residents
• Counseled residents in times of crisis (QPR and CPR training provided by University)

Green Valley, Illinois, United States

• Managed weekly lawn care of 12 acres, including mowing, trimming, and landscaping
• Ensured comfort and safety of assisted living residents (e.g., installed safety apparatus)
• Maintained facility equipment (e.g., geothermal furnaces, independent water supply, etc.)
• Monitored general maintenance (e.g., painting, building lighting, plumbing, electrical, etc.)

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering

I am pursuing my PhD in Aerospace Engineering at UIUC studying ablative thermal protection system materials.

Education record