Research Team

Dr. Alberto Mello is an associate professor of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Campus. Dr. Mello concluded his Ph.D. studies in Aerospace at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his master's and bachelor's degrees in Aeronautics from the Aeronautical Institute of Technology (ITA) in Brazil. He worked as a postdoc and visiting professor at Purdue University's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 2014 to 2018. He also mentored the Brazilian Air Force (BAF) Structural Integrity Group and was involved in all BAF structural integrity and aircraft life extension programs from 1990 to 2014. Additionally, Dr. Mello was the manager of the Brazilian Satellite Launcher VLS-1 Project and the head of the Brazilian Space Projects Branch at the Institute of Aeronautics and Space from 2011 to 2014, and he served as a part-time professor of Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics at ITA from 2004 to 2014.

jribik@my.erau.edu

Kais was born in Sfax, Tunisia, where he spent his childhood, until he left for Ukraine to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering from The National Aviation in Kyiv in 2014. Following his degree conferral, Kais volunteered to teach high school and some university-level courses in Italy, Greece and the Czech Republic. He later received the prestigious Fulbright scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to obtain his M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, which he received with distinction in 2018 after maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Kais is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering, working on damage control measures in composites and focusing on damage tolerance of aerospace structures.

debrunsb@my.erau.edu

Breno grew up in Joinville, Brazil. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, in Spring 2023, receiving his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Aeronautics. In the fall of 2023, he began pursuing a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle. His research will focus on probabilistic damage tolerance analysis, exploring the inspection intervals with variability of material properties, initial quality, loads, environment and multiple site damage in the same primary structure. The objective is to determine how the variability of these factors impacts inspection intervals to ensure the airworthiness of the structure.

harrisj5@my.erau.edu

James grew up in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He graduated from West Virginia University in Spring 2022 with a bachelor's degree in both Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering (emphasis in Astronautics), as well as a minor in General Business. In Fall 2022, James began his graduate studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, to pursue a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering to become more specialized in the field of emphasis before going into industry. His thesis research focuses on developing a protocol to create a speckle pattern with Ti nano-powder for the means of analyzing the fiber matrix interface of ZnO-modified carbon fibers using digital image correlation. He also works remotely for Hexagon Agility in an engineering internship position, developing programs in Python to automate the design and analysis workflow of composite overwrapped pressure vessels.

• Graduated: May 2023

• Placement: Northrop Grumman; Melbourne, Fla.

• Thesis: The Role of Slip System Activations on Ni-Based Superalloy High-Temperature Fatigue Life

• Graduated: July 2022

• Placement: AerSale, Inc.; Miami, Fla.

• Thesis: Seaplane Design Analysis: Hull Optimization for Water Suppression

• Graduated: May 2021

• Placement: Collins Aerospace; Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Thesis: Effect of Galvanic Corrosion on Crack Propagation of Cold Expanded Holes in AA2024-T3

• Graduated: May 2021

• Placement: Spirit AeroSystems; Wichita, Kan.

• Thesis: Effect of Cold Work Expansion on the Fatigue Life of Pre-Cracked Al2024-T3

• Graduated: May 2021

• Placement: Cummins Inc.; Columbus, Ind.

• Research Work: The Effect of Pre-Thermal and Load Conditions on IN-718 High-Temperature Fatigue Life

• Graduated: December 2020

• Placement: Graduate Student at ERAU

• Research Work: Failure Analysis of AA2024-T3 Subjected to Cyclic Load and Aggressive Environment

• Graduated: December 2020

• Placement: Boeing; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• Research Work: Stress Intensity Factor — Simple Solution for a Complex Problem

• Graduated: May 2023 (Seabreeze High School)

• Placement: Undergraduate Student at UCF

• Research Work: Protocol for Fracture Analysis