Kristi Morgansen

Professor and Chair
Faculty website

Kristi is the Captain of this Spaceship, aligning our efforts to a more excellent department as she also teaches and leads the Nonlinear Dynamics & Control Lab. We're not sure how she does it. She must get excellent sleep.

Rachel Reichert

Administrator

Rachel elevates the management of a rocket science department to an art. She is the gateway to our budgets as the head of fiscal and facilities. And she is streamlining all of processes to make us all work more efficiently.

Kim Maczko

Assistant to the Chair

Kim holds faculty destinies in her hands as she manages faculty HR and coordinates hiring for faculty, post docs and all academic visiting positions. She is also the portal onto Kristi's calendar.

Betsy Winter

Director, Academic Services

Betsy's goal is to make sure everyone has what they need for a great student experience. Have a question and not sure where to start? Betsy can guide you.

Erica Coleman

Academic Adviser, Undergraduate Programs

Erica welcomes and encourages questions from prospective and current students regarding admissions, course planning, and degree completion. 

Paul Neubert

Graduate Programs Manager

Paul manages our masters and doctoral programs. He is the perfect blend of competence, comfort and taskmaster to guide our grad students from fact-finding about the department through graduation. Grad students, talk through your plans and quandaries with Paul!

Derrick Van Kirk

Facilities Manager

Derrick manages the facilities, space and safety of Guggenheim Hall, AERB, and the 3x3 Aerodynamics lab. If you’re looking for a creative solution to your problem, Derrick is the person to contact.

Sean Krewson

Machine Shop Manager

Sean is quickly rising to be the most popular staff member, in charge of our machine shop and partnering with faculty and instructors to provide hands-on classes. He's got mad skills in prototype design and machining.

Carter Beamish

Instructional Lab Manager

Carter manages instructional lab spaces for A&A to ensure they run smoothly. He also helps manage departmental equipment so come to him with any equipment or design questions. 

 

David Wilson

Sr. Computing Specialist

David makes sure our Zoom is working like we expect and we're streaming to all of the right places. He also manages our hardware and software and supports the our research technology. 

Sonia Bill

Grant Manager

Sonia is an expert grant manager, making sure our faculty are on top of all grant requirements. Let her know when you want to apply for funding to launch research projects, so she can assist you through the process. Once your projects have lifted off, she will help with keeping them powered at high altitudes.

Elizabeth Lee

Grant Manager

Liz is our friendly neighborhood Grant Manager unless you forget your deadlines. She will search for you high and low as she is that passionate about keeping the gears of fiscal administration running smoothly. Don't forget your deadlines.

Khalid Mohamed

Budget Fiscal Analyst

Sometimes our faculty need extra fiscal support for budgets. Khalid is here for them and also handles payroll, travel, academic student HR, and purchasing. Need to purchase a rocket booster or an aircraft widget? Khalid will help you with that.

Amy Sprague

Communications Manager

Amy is our resident crusty Philadelphian, but she does get enthusiastic about our research. She writes our department news and features. Go ahead and tell her what you're up to. Beware though: She might give unsolicited advice on using UW colors and fonts.

Wanda Frederick

Community Relations and Communications Specialist

You know all of the faculty awards we've been racking up? Those nominations start with Wanda. And she knows how to communicate our department strengths to deepen our connections to alumni and the community. 

Beth Hacker

JCATI Program Manager

Beth has been extremely successful at running the JCATI program and making sure our legislators understand the benefits to students, faculty, and the aerospace industry in Washington state. 

Mary Denmon

Deputy Director of Program Operations of WA Space Grant

Mary manages all of the WA Space Grant educational programs and plans STEM outreach activities. Interested in Lunar Lava Tubes, High Altitude Balloons, or CubeSats? She runs it all.

Chris Wallish

Communications Manager

Chris is the voice of WA Space Grant, working on all of the announcements, registrations, events, and promotions covering all of the program's outreach.

Daniel Colvin

Program Manager

Daniel manages the fiscal "orbit" of WA Space Grant,  coordinating purchasing, reimbursement, and fiscal reporting for sub awards and direct activities for the WA Space Grant Office.

 

Christopher Hansen

Research Scientist/Engineer - Senior

Chris leads the HIT-SI Lab and the development of 3D numerical tools for studying fusion plasmas. He also collaborates with our national partners (CTFusion, PPPL, Columbia) to make fusion energy a reality.

Aaron Hossack

Research Scientist/Engineer

Aaron operates the HIT-SI3/ HIT-SIU experiment to study sustained spheromak plasmas. He is mastering the use of diagnostic techniques including laser interferometry, spectroscopy, tomography, high-speed imaging, and magnetic sensing.

Kyle Morgan

Research Scientist/Engineer

Kyle uses high-performance computing resources to develop and validate physical models to describe highly non-linear plasmas in the HIT-SI Lab. Studies the formation and sustainment of magnetized plasmas towards the eventual goal of fusion power generation.

Roger Raman

Research Scientist/Engineer Principal

As if it weren't hard enough to produce fusion reactions, the process can get interrupted and damage equipment. Roger is working on strategies to avoid these disruptions.

John Rogers

Engineering Technician Lead

John once remarked how slow lightning is in comparison to the plasmas in his lab. As he's the person who designs, builds, troubleshoots and repairs mechanical and electronic hardware for plasma research, that really says something about his superpowers.

Miguel Salguero

Test Engineer

Miguel helps oversee operation of the tunnel, prepare the tunnel for tests, and organize instrumentation and equipment. He works side-by-side with the KWT staff and students to ensure the tunnel keeps running and customers get the data they need.

 

Cara Winter

Business Manager

Cara keeps the KWT functioning like the aeronautical paradise that it is and supervises the intrepid Wind Tunnel Student Crew. She makes sure the data is always streaming, the wind is always blowing, and the aeronautical models are flying high.

Stuart Dickson

Test Technician

Stuart assists with the KWT's operational needs. This includes helping train the student crew, preparing for upcoming wind tunnel tests, and providing the best experience for our customers.

Mckayla Buckley

Mckayla handles front office administration. As our most senior student worker with an amazing graphic and media skillset, we may try to block her graduation, so she'll stay with us longer.

Drew Deguchi

Drew is a master of graphics, social media and web content. If you have a new idea for communications, you can ask Amy, but she'll just turn around and ask Drew. 

 

Clarice Mauer

Clarice, a Microbiology major, handles front office administration and turned out to be a secret communications weapon. She is so awesome that the communications and fiscal teams are fighting for her time. 

Ben Husarik

Ben handles front office administration. When he's not working hard in the front office, he will probably be working somewhere else in Guggenheim in his other role as A&A student.

Ela Sezguin

Ela handles front office administration. We all appreciate her eye for design and her knack for communications. We all can't wait for her to reopen her Etsy store too.

Ashley Baldino

Ash handles front office administration, and, as part of our comms team, works on social media and news writing. She is planning to major in Biology with a minor in Theatre, which we are plotting to put to use in upcoming projects!

Max Arzumanov

Max handles front office administration. He is intending to major in Informatics, and he designs merchandise and newsletters in his free time. We obviously love that, which makes him a great fit for our communications team. And ask him about hockey. He plays for the UW club hockey team.

Kenn Curry

Kenn handles front office administration. They major in Education, Communities & Organizations which makes them pretty talented at looking at complicated systems. That's great, AND they also have some mad photography skills, so look for our new and improved lab photos!

Jessica May

Jessi handles front office administration with a steadfast love for lists, so she is clearly living the dream here in A&A. And she's majoring in Communications (!), so you'll be seeing her work pop up on our news page and socials.