Selected Work Experience
My journey early in my career has been an interesting turn of events like a meandering river, these experiences, and those yet to come, will continue to influence and reshape the person I am, and the person I will become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow.
Selected Academic Projects
I come from not only a theoretical background but an experimental approach as well. I led teams to submit independent research papers in the field of Music for Academic conferences as well as a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Review (CDR) in line with NASA mission procedures and protocols. My technical experiences revolved around Linear Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuator project for a Nitinol Spacesuit System and designed a Martian Lander system to characterize water feedstock on mars based on NASA’s Human Landing Site Studies. I focused on designing, developing, and submitting proposals that utilize SMAs to optimize power consumption. These were in response to NASA’s requests for ‘Proposals Outlined in the 2015 Technology Roadmaps’. In the duration of these experiences, I’ve also focused on mission management and leading various sub-projects.
Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
Characterizing Water Feedstock for Human Landing Sites
By deployment of LISNRs
L’SPACE Mission Concept Academy Level I
Group 31
Spring 2019
12-week project driven program that is part of the Lucy mission to Jupiter’s Trojans. As part of a 5 person team we designed a probe to land on and characterize water feedstock on mars based on NASA’s Human Landing Site Studies. We defined key objectives, managed and delegated project tasks, determined deliverable timeline. Submitted a Preliminary Design Review and Critical Design Review in line with NASA mission procedures and protocols. We justified the selection of instrumentation for integration onto lander for ice detection, Integrated selection of payload with engineering team’s lander design and learned the NASA mission procedures, protocols, and preliminary design review progress.
(Life tends to get way sometimes but it’s how you handle those situations and lessons learned that make you stand out)
Full uncompleted PDR Draft Here. (Coming Soon)
Critical Design Review (CDR)
Linear Shape memory Alloy Actuators For Nitinol Spacesuit Systems (NSS)
L’SPACE Proposal Academy Level II
Group 12
Summer 2019
12-week Academy designed to provide unique, hands-on learning and insight into the dynamic world of the space industry. In the 2nd Level the team and I designed a model for a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2 Linear Shaped Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators for Nitinol Spacesuit System that utilizes SMAs to reduce power consumption. Mechanical counter-pressure (MCP) spacesuits allow astronauts more degrees of freedom compared to traditional suits currently being used. MCP spacesuits have an increased performance and flexibility which allows for more complex experiments and spacewalks, that can be performed successfully in future human exploration missions. This was in response to NASA’s Request for Proposal (RFP) outlined in 2015’s Technology Roadmaps.
Posture and Muscle Activity in Trumpet Players: A Comparison of Concert versus Marching Demands Using Motion Capture and Electromyography
Spring 2018
Trumpet players experience musculoskeletal problems that may be dependent on the biomechanical demands associated with the type of music performed. For example, a trumpet player in a concert setting would typically sit, while trumpet playing in a marching band setting involves complex lower body choreography. These differences suggest differences in postural and biomechanical loading and differential levels of risk for musculoskeletal injuries. Unfortunately, there are no known studies that characterize these differences.
The purpose of this pilot study was to examine and compare posture and muscle activity patterns associated with playing trumpet in simulated concert band and marching band settings. Specific aims included the comparison of cervical and lumbar postures and the activity of posterior stabilizer muscles.
Full Abstract Here - (Vela, Dufour, Saul and Sarkodie, 2020)