Staff Members
Derek Hollenbeck
PostDoctoral Researcher, Manager of CMERI
Derek Hollenbeck received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Merced in 2023. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scholar and the manager of The Center for Methane Emission Research and Innovation CMERI. Derek's research interests include fluid mechanics, controls, and dynamics with applications in small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), search and localization of fugitive gases, fractional calculus, and cyber-physical systems.
Graduate Researchers
Rafal Krzysiak
Ph.D. Student, Spring 2022, Mechanical Engineering
Rafal Krzysiak is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Merced. His research focuses on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) empowered sensors and smart sensing, with primary applications in health monitoring, including explainable cardiovascular disease prediction and prevention, as well as Earth remote sensing using satellites, aircraft, and UAS. In addition to his academic pursuits, Rafal works as a mechanical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he designs, analyzes, simulates, and builds instruments for planetary science missions both on Earth and beyond. He holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Dynamical Systems and Control and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Mechatronics/Robotics from Northern Illinois University, where he served as Vice President of the NIU Mars Rover team and was a member of the Honors Society.
Justus Nwoke
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2021, Mechanical Engineering
Justus Nwoke is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Merced. His research interests here at the Mechatronics, Embedded Systems, and Automation (MESA) Lab include the identification and modeling of mechatronic systems, control engineering, and machine learning. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Midwestern State University, Texas.
Sachin Giri
Ph.D. Student, Jan 2024
Sachin Giri is a Ph.D. student in Computer Software Engineering at the EECS department, University of California, Merced, and is an active member of the MESA Lab. His research focuses on detecting methane plume sites using hyperspectral imaging from sensors like AVIRIS-NG and satellites such as EMIT and Sentinel. Additionally, he is involved in developing ground robots equipped with sensors to detect and quantify methane. Sachin has a passion for mathematics, problem-solving, and critical analysis. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new places and immersing himself in the beauty of nature.
Shiang Cao
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2022, Mechanical Engineering
Shiang Cao is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Merced. His research mainly focuses on control theory, digital twin, and precision agriculture.
