Graduate Researchers

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

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

Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Email: eevans853@tamu.edu

Emilee Evans is a current Master’s of Science student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. She completed her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. Emilee’s research journey began her junior year of undergraduate studies during her internship with NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). She focused on materials characterization using in-situ micro-X-ray computer tomography (CT) testing for hypersonic/aerospace applications. Upon graduating, Emilee accepted a job with a contractor of NASA LaRC, Analytical Mechanics associates, where she has been conducting low velocity impact and compression after impact tests with non destructive evaluation (NDE) characterization techniques. Now as a graduate student, Emilee will be testing refractory composites in the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) to understand the damage quantity and morphology of hypervelocity impact to refractory composites  while assessing the residual strength and damage tolerance of the material.

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

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

Hometown:
Email:

BIO

Ph.D. Student, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

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

Hometown: Macomb, MI
Email: newmanet@tamu.edu

Ethan Newman is a Ph.D. student in the J. Mike Walker ‘66 Department of Mechanical
Engineering since Fall 2025. He earned a B.S. from Michigan State University with a
double major in Mechanical Engineering and History in May 2025. Ethan’s
undergraduate research included effects of haptic feedback on motor learning, pattern
recognition of motion tracking, and solid mechanics of battery electrodes. With HVIL,
Ethan hopes to gain an understanding of impact phenomena to apply to composite
armor systems.

Ph.D. Student, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

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

Hometown: Sapele, Nigeria
Email: okpakoo@tamu.edu

Ogheneochuko (Sam) Okpako is a Ph.D. student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, since Fall 2025. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Benin in Nigeria. Sam’s prior research experience includes the design and mechanical characterization of fiber-reinforced epoxy composites for ballistic applications. As a graduate researcher in the HVIL, Sam aims to investigate the thermal and mechanical response of multifunctional composite structures, under hyper velocity impact loading conditions.

Ph.D. Student, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

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

Hometown: Belton, TX
Email: jackson.rahm@tamu.edu

Jack Rahm is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University since Fall 2025. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology – Mechatronics, with minors in Mathematics and Embedded Systems Integration. During undergraduate studies, his research focused on composite impact strength, development of experimental composite 3D printing methods, vibrational measurement systems, and hypersonic impact diagnostic techniques.

Now, as a graduate student with the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory, Jack intends to focus on the development and application of electronic systems for hypervelocity impact research. He also intends to further pursue research into hypervelocity impacts in composite and aerospace applications.

 

Masters Student J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

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

Hometown: Chennai, TN, India
Email: sidhdharth@tamu.edu

Sidhdharth Sundar is a Master of Science student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University, India, in 2021. At HVIL, Sidhdharth intends to study the influence of temperature and strain rate on the impact response of glassy polymers.

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

Fully Trained 2SLGG Gunner

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

Hometown: Belton, TX
Email: deanbiava@tamu.edu

Dean Biava is a Master’s of Science student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science at TAMU in May of 2024. Dean originally joined the HVIL team as an undergraduate researcher in January of 2022. During his time working with the lab and his internship with NASA Langley/Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, he has developed an interest in carbon/carbon composites and hypervelocity impacts and plans to continue his research in these subjects.

 

 

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

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

Hometown: Friendswood, TX
Email: mwiest@tamu.edu

Mikayla Wiest is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, having completed her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering there in May 2024. While receiving her bachelor’s degree, Mikayla participated as undergraduate research assistant in the HVIL. She received the J. Mike Walker ’66 Impact Award in the Fall of 2024 in recognition of academic and innovative excellence. Mikayla plans to continue her research at the HVIL with a focus in diagnostic equipment development and its applications to micrometeoroid/orbital debris impacts.

Ph.D. Student, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering

Fully Trained 2SLGG Gunner

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

Hometown: Los Angeles
Email: gkkawaguchi@tamu.edu

Garrett is a Ph.D. student in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. During his undergraduate studies he engaged in research which investigated the use of shear-thickening-fluids intercalated in soft body armors to improve their energy absorption characteristics under high strain-rate conditions. Now a member of the HVIL, he intends to focus his research efforts on developing protective structures and components to mitigate the effects of various hypersonic weapons.

Ph.D. Candidate, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Fully Trained 2SLGG Gunner

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

Hometown: Stephenville, TX
Email: siddavis424@tamu.edu

Sidney Davis is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, since Fall 2022. He holds a Dual B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Tarleton State University, where his research focused on experimental ion beam analysis and various forms of mathematical, physics, and disease modeling.

Currently, Sidney’s research is centered on the hypervelocity impact response of aerospace composite materials, employing a combined experimental and computational approach. He has experience running finite element and hydrocodes to study the response of composites, metals, and other materials under hypervelocity impact conditions. Additionally, Sidney is working on advancing high-rate diagnostic techniques to measure critical parameters in high-rate impacts and hypersonics.