Welcome to my website! This website is a space where I can share my thoughts, experiences, and interests with you. I hope you find something interesting and informative here. On this homepage, you'll find a brief introduction about myself and what this website is about.

A little bit about myself: My name is Ethan and I am 25 years old. I am a guidance, navigation, and control engineer at Millennium Space Systems in El Segundo, CA. I'm passionate about solving complex engineering problems that benefit humanity as a whole. I'm also an avid traveler and enjoy exploring new places.

In the "About Me" tab, you can learn more about my background, interests, and future aspirations.

In the "Résumé" tab, you can find a detailed summary of my professional experience, including my current role. You can learn about my technical skills, past projects, and accomplishments.

The "Reading List" tab is a brief and very informal list of some of my favorite books, a bit about each of them, and why I enjoyed them.

Lastly, in the "Links" tab, you can find links to my LinkedIn and GitHub pages. I'm always open to connecting with new people and hearing about their experiences and perspectives. Thank you for visiting my website, and I hope you enjoy it.

Hi, I'm Ethan. I am currently a guidance, navigation, and control engineer at Millennium Space Systems. I am passionate about physics, mathematics, and computer programming, so I find myself in a quite natural role. I am particularly fascinated by classical mechanics, and am trying to gain a deeper understanding of Einstein's Theory of Relativity. One day I may choose to venture down the road of quantum mechanics, but that day will not come any time soon. Some of my hobbies outside of work and academics include traveling, camping, hiking, and reading.

I grew up in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful places on earth: Carlsbad, California. Following my childhood years, I attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with cum laude latin honors (I did not consider myself, by any regards, an academic throughout high school so this was a big improvement for me in the realm of academic achievement). Rather than joining the job field right away after graduating with my undergraduate degree, I elected to attend graduate school at The University of California, Irvine where I earned a Master of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Although I was only there for a year, I consider this to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

EXPERIENCE

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer | Millennium Space Systems | August 2023 – Present

• Led as the primary GNC authority on multiple government programs, demonstrating expertise in guidance, navigation, and control systems
• Selected GNC sensors and actuators to ensure that mission requirements could be met
• Developed 6-DOF simulation in Simulink/MATLAB for closed-loop testing of control law performance
• Assisted in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing and debugging
• Collaborated with the flight software team to successfully develop an in-house Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA), showcasing hands-on technical skills
• Established and managed a Continuous Integration (CI) system for in-house analysis tools, streamlining development processes and ensuring efficiency
• Implemented effective communication channels between cross-functional teams to facilitate seamless coordination in project execution

Aerospace Engineering Intern | NASA Glenn Research Center | June 2022 – August 2022

• Incorporated physics-informed machine learning to identify the cause of a unique occurrence in a set of airfoil data
• Received guidance and training from professional personnel at NASA Glenn Research Center
• Learned and became proficient in the skills necessary to succeed in a professional work environment

Mechanical Engineering Intern | NASA Space Grant | August 2021 – May 2022

• Undergraduate Research Assistant in NAU’s Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab, funded by the NASA Space Grant
• Helped develop a deep-learning algorithm capable of finding velocity and pressure field solutions without the application of boundary conditions

Undergraduate Research Assistant | Northern Arizona University | May 2021 – Jan 2022

• Undergraduate Research Assistant in NAU's Dynamic and Active Systems Lab
• Developed a time-scheduled recording device in partnership with the Forestry department to identify the presence of various animals
• Implemented Fourier transform to analyze acquired audio data and pick out specific frequencies

EDUCATION

University of California, Irvine | Irvine, CA | 2022 – 2023
Master of Science | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Emphasis: Dynamics and Controls

Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ | 2018 – 2022
Bachelor of Science | Mechanical Engineering | Honors: cum laude

SKILLS

• MATLAB
• Simulink
• Python
• Control Theory
• Machine Learning
• Microsoft Office
• Mathematica
• SolidWorks

RELEVANT COURSEWORK

• Linear Systems I/II
• Analytical Mechanics
• Nonlinear Optimization Methods
• Geometric Nonlinear Control
• Flight Dynamics/Control of Aerospace Vehicles
• Learning Control Systems
• Electric Propulsion
• Advanced Robotics

The Code Book by Simon Singh: An excellent book for anyone interested in mathematics, cryptography, or history. The Code Book examines the entire history of the ongoing war between cryptographers and cryptanalysts from ancient Egypt to modern quantum encryption techniques. Those fascinated with World War II history will particularly enjoy the chapters on the Navajo Code Talkers and the German Enigma.

Skunk Works by Ben Rich: Any engineer will enjoy this book outlining the development of some of the most advanced aircraft in the history of The United States. Written by Ben Rich, former head of Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division, this book provides an excellent "first person" view of information that was once highly classified due to national security concerns.

In 2025 I am planning to read one chapter per week out of "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" and upload a brief blog-style post here discussing what I learned, what I found intersting, and initial confusions I had.

Week 1: Volume II, Chapter 1 - Electromagnetism
Week 2: Volume II, Chapter 42 - Curved Space
Week 3: Volume III, Chapter 1 - Quantum Behavior