David A. Staack Assistant Professor Mechanical Engineering dstaack@tamu.edu office: ENPH-Office Wing 328 office phone: 979-845-4063
RESEARCH	TEACHING	EDUCATION	EXPERIENCE		VITAE	PAST
RESEARCH Plasma Engineering and Diagnostic Laboratory (PEDL) Lab: ENPH-Lab 413
TEACHING Courses: MEEN 421-501: MWF 8:00-8:50am rm. ENPH 205 MEEN 417: MWF 11:30-12:20 rm. O&M 110 MEEN 689: MWF 11:30-12:20 rm. O&M 110 Office Hours: ENPH-office 328 MWF: 9am-10am
EDUCATION				EXPERIENCE
	Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. Mechanical Engineering, September 2004 – December 2008 . PhD. Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, January 2001 – August 2004 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Aerospace Engineering, September 1995 - January 2001 . BS & MS.			Texas A&M University, Mechanical Engineering, Assistant Professor, Jan. 2009 - present Drexel University, Drexel Plasma Institute, Graduate Research Assistant, 2004-2008. Advisors: Alexander Fridman & Bakhtier Farouk Drexel University, Goodwin College, Adjunct Instructor, 2007 Princeton University, HTX - Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Graduate Research Assistant, 2000-2004. Advisors: Nathaniel J. Fisch, Yevgeny Raitses. University of Virginia, Aerospace Research Laboratory, Graduate Research Assistant, 1999-2000. Advisor: James C. McDaniel. Carnegie Mellon University & University of Virginia, Stage 3 Research Group, Undergraduate Research Assistant, 1996-1998. Advisor: Randy Pausch.
Detailed Vitae pdf of July 2013, curriculum vitae
BIO & PAST RESEARCH David Staack was born in the west Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City in 1977 growing up in Westbeth. He attended Stuyvesant H.S. in both the new and old buildings. He received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, in 2000. As an undergraduate he worked with building virtual worlds for the Stage 3 research group at UVA and Carnegie Mellon. In his graduate work at UVA his thesis research was on developing and using LIF techniques for the diagnostics of interacting rarified and continuum flows. , and the Ph.D. degree from the Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, in 2008, where his research focused on the characterization of atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasmas and the use of such plasmas for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, biomedical applications, and fuel reforming. From 2000 to 2004, he completed his graduate work with Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, where he was with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory studying the effects of plasma surface interactions on the performance of Hall thruster rocket engines and developing plasma diagnostics. As of January 2009, he is currently an Assistant Professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station. His current research interests include plasma engineering applications of micro- and nano- scale plasmas at various pressures and in various media, and plasma discharge and flow diagnostics. Nanoscale coronas in Liquids Advisors: Alexander Fridman, Gary Friedman, (Drexel Plasma Institute) and Yury Gogotsi (Drexel Nanotechnology Institute) Image of nanoplasma (corona electrical discharge) in human blood plasma. The orange color is indicative of the sodium content in the blood. Atmospheric Pressure Microplasma Glow Discharge Advisors: Bakhtier Farouk, Alexander Fridman, Alexander Gutsol (Drexel Plasma Institute) Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma discharges represent a lower cost alternative to current vacuum based plasma technologies used for micro-fabrication. This research involves experimental studies of micron-sized atmospheric plasma discharges using DC, RF, and microwave excitation. The plasmas are visually and electrically characterized for a variety of operating conditions and gases. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to measure the rotational, vibrational, and excitation temperatures. The micro-plasmas are being used for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputter deposition of thin films. Mask-less micro-patterning has also been demonstrated. Deposited diamond like carbon films are being characterized by profilometry and Raman spectroscopy. This work is supported by the NSF. See publications for more information. DC atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air at gap spacing between 100 mm and 3 mm Plasma wall interaction in Hall Thrusters Advisors: Nathaniel J. Fisch, Yevgeny Raitses (Hall Thruster Experiment, PPPL). Experimental study of the effects of plasma wall interactions on the performance of Hall thrusters for the Hall Thruster Experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Research focused on the effects of changes in the secondary electron emission and conductive properties of the channel wall material and on the development of plasma diagnostic techniques for measurements inside a hall thruster. Work includes experience with plasma discharges, plasma material interactions, plasma diagnostic techniques, cryogenic and other high vacuum facilities, multistage high-acceleration positioning systems, electronic measurement circuits, data acquisition software, and data analysis software. PPPL Hall thruster in operation LIF studies of Interacting Rarefied and Continuum Flows Advisors: James C. McDaniel (Aerospace Research Lab, University of Virginia). Experimental study of the interaction between rarefied and continuum flow is a reaction control system. Measurements were compared to computer simulations of reaction control systems made by NASA Langley. Work included the building and designing of a vacuum based hypersonic wind tunnel and development of laser induced iodine fluorescence techniques to measure temperature, pressure, and velocity. False color image of iodine fluorescence signal from Iodine seeded N2 Mach 10 free jet as laser frequency is scanned. Virtual Reality Program Development Advisors: Randy Pausch (Stage 3 Research Group, Carnegie Mellon University). Programmed virtual reality environments and helped develop Alice 3D graphics software. Developed content for virtual reality experiments to compare human perceptions of real and virtual worlds. Some virtual world objects
** Site Under Construction ** Last updated 9/9/2013