Tom Corona
corona1@vt.edu
Tom is a senior in mechanical engineering, and also studies naval engineering as a minor. He is from Saratoga Springs, NY, where he was project manager of his high schools Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam group. During this time, Tom was lead programmer and also supervised the development of the "Aegis" app - which allows college students that are in distress to easily notify university security of there whereabouts. Currently, Tom's areas of expertise include structure design using CAD software, finite element and load analysis, fluid/thermodynamic systems, and RF engineering. Tom is also interested in high powered rocket design, and defense systems.
Kevin Hummel
hummel22@vt.edu
Kevin Hummel is a senior at Virginia Tech studying Aerospace Engineering. He is from Millbrook, New York. Kevin joined the rover team because of his strong interests in robotics and fascination with space exploration. Some of his hobbies include electronics and photography. He has previously worked on a smaller robotics project. Kevin also designed an interactive light display for an architect’s thesis design project.
Christopher Gumm
chrisgumm@vt.edu
Chris is a senior in Aerospace Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics. From Marlton, NJ he first experienced rover design as a member of STORM Robotics 2729, a FIRST Robotics team. With the STORM team just starting, Chris was committed to making sure the team succeeded. With experience developing award winning rovers, RASC-AL Robo Ops seemed like the perfect fit. After graduating, Chris plans to move back to Germany to study computational mathematics or Seattle to work with CFD.
Joe Haslem
joeh09@vt.edu
Joe Haslem is an Aerospace Engineering major from Yorktown, VA and came to Virginia Tech in Fall of 2009. Upon graduating, he will commission into the United States Navy and immediately be sent to Pensacola, Fl where he will begin
flight training to become a Naval Aviator. His experience with robotics began in high school where he and his team built a small robot as part of a school project while also learning coding in Java and C. He took interest in this project because it gives students the freedom to develop their own ideas and then apply those ideas into a design that will be built by the team members themselves. Even though Virginia Tech will be competing against schools who have been involved in this competition for years, he hopes to show that Virginia Tech will live up to its reputation as as top engineering college and can be a strong competitor.
Jason Duane
jasond87@vt.edu
Jason Duane will graduate in May 2014 with a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He is from Gainesville Virginia, and spends his summers on the eastern shore, in Chincoteague VA. Jason has been a part of the VT RockSat-X team since 2012, where he has gained experience in testing electrical components for space flight. He is
also a founding member of both the VT and NVR rocketry clubs, where he has gained experience in overall systems engineering, manufacturing of composites and the dynamics high speed compressible flight. He has
been published in Rokcets Magazine for his innovation of a clear skinned composite rocket. Jason wanted to join the rover team to add his manufacturing and overall structural experience to the team. He also hopes to gain a better understanding of electronics and communications from the Robo-Ops competition. Jason’s hobbies include surfing and playing the greatest game ever played, golf! After graduation Jason hopes to go back to the eastern shore and work on sounding rocket launch vehicles at NASA Wallops Island.
Jimmy Congleton
jimmyc17@vt.edu
Jimmy Congleton is a senior in Aerospace Engineering from Charlotte, North Carolina. As a senior in high school, his interest in space exploration began from a senior project on space colonization. Now as a senior at Virginia Tech, he will be continuing his interest in space exploration with a similar topic with hands on experience with the Rover Team.
Nicholas Socky
sockynss@vt.edu
Nicholas Socky is a Senior working on a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Mathematics from Roanoke, Virginia. Nicholas has past experience with composite manufacturing, CAD design, along with some CNC use and structural analysis. With a strong interest in semi-autonomous rovers and a desire to learn more about electronics, programming, and control Nicholas decided to join the Robo-Ops competition. After graduation, Nicholas plans to leave his options open between grad school and entering the work force. When Nick is not in the lab, he is a member of the Marching Virginians, the President of the VPI Cave Club, and often explores and maps caves in Virginia and West Virginia.
