Mentors

During the last 15 years at OU Dr. Merchan- Merchan has mentored more than 100 undergraduate (UG) students in his research laboratory. He has established a well-developed program for UG research and strongly believes that close mentoring is essential for UG research success. Some of those students include several McNair Scholars, Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) scholars, Honors Research students, National Merit Scholars, and students seeking to fulfill their experimental electives. UG students participating in his research have published in journal publications and presented at several national and local conferences. Many of these UG students have decided to continue to graduate school. Several students were awarded the prestigious NSFGRFP award using data from his UG research to support their application.

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/merchan-merchan

Dr. Sun mentors in the Capstone program, closely guiding undergraduate (UG) students with their research projects. In Spring 2020 he sponsored and mentored a group of students working on an unmanned aerial systems (UAS) project. He also serves as a mentor for the Sooner Rover Team, whose objective is to design and build planetary rovers to compete in international competitions and push boundaries on rover design for interplanetary missions. He is participating in the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. This program introduces UAS- related UG level classes and aims to enhance student participation in STEM and show how a popular technology, such as UAS, may lead to a secure career path. Furthermore, he serves as a research mentor for UG students enrolled in research courses and through the Honors Engineering Research Experience (HERE) program to conduct individual research projects.

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/Sun

At the University of Oklahoma, Dr Sanchez instructs courses in Space Systems and Mission Design, Space Sciences and Astrodynamics, and various subjects within the field of aerospace. Dr. Sanchez has mentored students in the Aerospace Engineering Capstone program, guiding them in their studies related to orbital mechanics and spacecraft mission design. In the most recent Capstone project, the students delved into developing methods for autonomously capturing and returning artifacts from asteroids to Earth for scientific analysis. This innovative mechanism also holds potential for addressing the issue of debris in low Earth orbit, as it can be adapted to facilitate the cleanup of orbital debris. One practical approach involves deploying unnamed spacecraft with these capabilities. Through their involvement in this mentoring program, students gain valuable experience conducting comprehensive research, defining mission objectives, designing spacecraft, and manufacturing and testing their creations. To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/faculty/diogo-sanchez

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/faculty/diogo-sanchez

Over the last seven years, Dr. Liu has supervised dozens of undergraduate students in honors research and independent research at the University of Oklahoma. During his time at OU Dr. Liu has continuously offered research opportunities to undergraduate (UG) students in his laboratory. He provides research projects focusing on a variety of topics ranging from nanocomposites to 3D printing of various materials. Including “3D Printing of Sugar Powders using Selective Laser Melting” and “Jet Bending Based 3D Printing of Ceramics”. Dr. Liu has established a strong research program for undergraduates to conduct research in his laboratory. He has published several papers with UG students as co-authors.

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/Liu

Dr. Cai has been actively involved in undergraduate (UG) research. He has mentored more than 20 UG students through independent study and research (AME 4980). Dr. Cai also provides paid UG research assistantships for students in his lab. One of the capstone teams (Research category) that he sponsored and mentored won 2nd place at the 2018 Design Poster Fair. Dr. Cai has great success in securing external research grants dedicated to enriching UG research experiences. A good portion of the UG students mentored by Dr. Cai landed jobs in relevant industries, such as Johnson Controls, Arup, Rheem and Facility Management of Tinker Air Force Base. Some of the students conducting UG research in Dr. Cai’s lab decided to continue to Graduate School under his guidance.

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/Cai

Dr. Kazempoor has a strong industrial background and can provides the industrial perspective to students conducting research in his lab. He worked for five years as a senior engineer and project manager at Baker-Hughes/General Electric (BH/GE). He was responsible for driving innovative research, development activities and taking new technologies from the conceptual stage to full commercialization. His most recent projects (before joining OU in the Fall 2019) at BH/GE focused on four specific areas: emission reduction techniques & technologies, sustainability & energy efficiency, natural gas monetization, and renewable energy application in the Oil & Gas Industry. One of his latest areas of research is “Natural Gas Leak Detection Using drones”.

To obtain more information visit: https://www.ou.edu/coe/ame/people/kazempoor