Conduct research in machine learning and advise graduate students.

Develop US Army’s AI research visions and plans in support of the Laboratory’s mission. Collaborate with internal, other governmental, academia, industrial, and international researchers to further the development of the ARL AI strategy. Mentor and advise the laboratory personnel on AI research and publications. Perform original research in AI and robotics that support the ARL research objectives.

Plan, define, develop, and invest in new capabilities of rapidly deployable, autonomous/intelligent marine platforms and systems in naval operations including mine warfare, naval special warfare, explosive ordnance disposal, and amphibious landing.

Provides scientific leadership, oversight, and coherence for the DOD’s basic research programs, and stimulates the initiation or support of promising areas of research in support of the director of the Basic Research Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, ASD(R&E). This includes basic research programs at the Army Research Office (ARO), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Fosters connections with the nation’s leading scientists and engineers, thereby identifying promising avenues of basic research with the potential to transform future defense capabilities.

Responsible for providing oversight, coordination, integration, and evaluation of ONR's $900M Discovery and Invention (D&I) portfolio, which encompasses basic and applied research programs. Duties include planning, programming and budgeting of the D&I portfolio; coordinating establishment of D&I performance metrics and assessment of D&I program performance via Peer Review; conducting oversight of the ONR’s core basic research programs, university research programs and collaborative basic research programs with academia, industry, naval activities and other government agencies; representing ONR at meetings such as the Defense Basic Research Advisory Group (DBRAG), DoD Open Access Working Group, and other joint meetings with organizations such as NSF, DARPA, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) of the Whitehouse. Instituted a new high risk and high payoff S&T investment program in the ONR applied research portfolio called Applied Research Challenge (ARC). Successfully launched six ARC projects in FY14. Initiated 8 new Basic Research Challenge (BRC) projects from the topic development and selection processes to their execution via funding selected multi-university research teams. Directed nomination and selection processes of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) topics, Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), and Young Investigator Program (YIP). Complete the first cycle of the ONR Peer Review process including external panel reviews and face-to-face reviews of after action reports with ONR portfolio program managers. Successfully maintained stability of the ONR basic and applied research budget in the annual budget process and defended it from the congressional and GAO reviews.

Planned, organized, managed, and defended integrated science and technology programs (basic and applied research) designed to provide new capabilities for Navy and Marine Corps in near-shore, estuarine, and riverine environments. The programs also included applied research for developing new capabilities in support of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) operations. Key technologies developed under the thrust include visual odometry and navigation, SLAM, flight collision avoidance, Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), GPS free riverine navigation, imaging sonar based underwater navigation, diver active thermal protection, etc. The basic research areas included predicting the 4D coastal environment, predicting seafloor characteristics in the global ocean margins, prediction of sediment transport phenomena in coastal environments, and assessment and enhancement of remote sensor performance in cluttered littoral environments, among many others. Responsibilities included developing overall plans, secure program funding, lead integrated programs, liaison with other organizations for collaboration and joint program development, and participate in forums in DOD and DON for Science & Technology goals and need formulation. Successfully managed projects of active thermal management of special ops divers and underwater platforms, and transitioned them to the fleet as programs of records. Managed applied research and demonstration programs and led them to significant advances in light weight riverine survey Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), low cost non-inertial underwater navigation sensor, LIDAR based underwater imaging sensor, river following and mapping Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and underwater energy harvester.

Taught courses in closed loop control systems, autonomous system design, naval weapon systems, and pattern recognition. Conducted research in human robot interface, image processing, image motion tracking, machine learning, and pattern recognition.

Developed and directed technical projects within the Center for Energetic Concepts Development (CECD). Formulated novel concepts and formed teams among participating faculties to produce technical proposals leading to funded efforts. Conducted research in sensors and algorithms for energetics and associated systems. Developed funded projects of studying cavity generation by super-cavitating projectiles, failures analyses of impulse cartridge filter subassemblies, and development of full-wave 3-D simulation algorithms for THz System.