People

Ph.D. Student (Graduated Spring 2024), J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Research Fellow, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Graduate Ambassador, TAMU MEEN Department
Fully Trained 2SLGG Gunner

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843

Hometown: Lucedale, MS
Email: jacob_rogers@tamu.edu
CV/Resume: Jacob_Rogers.pdf

Jacob was a Ph.D. student in the Texas A&M University (TAMU) J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering with a background in solid mechanics, hypervelocity impact damage mechanics, and aeroballistic range testing. Upon admission to TAMU and under the guidance of co-advisors Dr. Thomas Lacy and Dr. Justin Wilkerson, Jacob received a graduate research assistant (GAR) position and was also awarded a Mechanical Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship. During spring of 2020, Jacob was awarded the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical 2020 Graduate Summer Research Grant for his research on novel protective structure concepts. His research at TAMU on novel, tailored polymeric materials and structures to mitigate hypervelocity impact (HVI) threats enabled him to receive the National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship. Jacob was instrumental in establishing the TAMU Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) in January 2020. At the HVIL, he currently studies HVI (2.5-8.0 km/s) phenomena and materials for extreme environments. Over the short time since HVIL’s launch, Jacob and the HVIL team have performed over 600 HVI experiments and made numerous advancements in diagnostics, experimental capabilities, and two-stage light gas gun (2SLGG) operational efficiency. His research interests also include computational solid mechanics, hypersonics, ultra-high strain-rate materials, and micrometeoroid/orbital debris (MMOD) impacts. He completed his undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU) in May of 2019. While at MSU, he was named a Stephen D. Lee Scholar and awarded Aerospace Engineering Student of the Year (2019), multiple first-place research symposium awards, and two undergraduate research fellowships. He researched HVIs and conducted full-scale 2SLGG experiments under the guidance of Dr. Lacy for much of his undergraduate career. He has supplemented his time spent on research with time dedicated to mentorship and leadership, mentoring multiple undergraduate design teams. He served as president of MEGSO (2022-2023) and is a member of ASME, AIAA, and International Ballistics Society (IBS), as well as the Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Gamma Tau, and Sigma Xi academic honor societies. Jacob plans to use his experience at TAMU studying HVI phenomena to advance the scientific knowledge of HVI physics and to develop cutting-edge protective structures that will better protect against emerging space and military threats.

M.S. Student, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
Email: ho127@tamu.edu

Hasnaa was a M.S. student in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University working on the “Post-Crash Fire Forensic Analysis on Aerospace Composites.” She received a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the International University of Rabat (UIR) where she acquired a solid foundation and knowledge in various disciplines related to the aerospace domain. She pursued a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU). As a master student at MSU, she worked on the “Validation of the Two-Parameter Fracture Criterion (TPFC)” an equation developed by Professor J.C. Newman (my Master advisor). The TPFC equation can be used to correlate and predict failure loads on cracked metallic fracture specimens. During this work, she performed two-dimensional finite-element simulations using the critical crack-tip opening angle (CTOA) to analyze the fracture data of middle crack tension specimens made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. She was awarded full scholarships from both UIR and MSU. She also worked on the development of a technical report about “RADAR absorbing materials and their implementation in aircraft structures.” She was a teaching assistant for a “Statics and dynamics” and “Solid mechanics in mechanical design.”

Ph.D. Student (Graduated Spring 2024), J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Fully Trained 2SLGG Gunner

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
Email: khariharrison@tamu.edu

Khari was a Ph.D. student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He graduated from Mississippi State University (MSU) with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. While at MSU, he researched on the characterization of damage of pitch-fiber based lightning strike protection systems and also worked on improving payload integration techniques for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) by designing and fabricating composite components. His research interests include hypervelocity impacts and composite materials for extreme environments.

M.S. Student (Graduated Fall 2023), J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
Email: lawrence.carson@tamu.edu

Carson Lawrence was a M.S. student at Texas A&M University in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University in May of 2019, and he dreams of developing new technologies to push human spaceflight further into the solar system. Throughout his time at Mississippi State, he was a member, project manager, and eventually chief engineer of the university’s nationally renowned rocket design team, the Space Cowboys. The team competes in both national international competitions while pushing aerospace research forward and developing new generations of rocket engineers. At TAMU, Carson researched new and innovative finite element methods to assist in the design of structures for use in extreme environments, such as in outer space and at hypervelocities.

M.S. Student (Graduated Fall 2023), J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
Email: lllang@tamu.edu

M.S. Student (Graduated Spring 2023), J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

103A Doherty Building, 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843

Hometown: Ashland, Ohio
Email: joey.stricklin@tamu.edu

Joey Stricklin was a Master of Science student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Before joining the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory Lab, he helped design and construct the Flash X-Ray fixture utilized by the lab. The fixture was his senior design project and will be used by the lab for the intended purposes of the Flash X-Ray system as well as for optical diagnostic equipment. Joey graduated with his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2020. He was a NASA intern for the Langley Research Center working on optimizing the carbon-carbon densification process at Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, where those composites are made. During undergrad, he completed a co-op with AMBIT Polyurethane dealing with manufacturing plant design. Joey’s research interests include hypervelocity impacts and improving the capabilities of two-stage light gas gun used in the lab.