Faculty

Dr. Jankauski

Mark Jankauski

Principal Investigator
Dr. Mark Jankauski is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University.  His expertise is in dynamical systems, vibrations and theoretical/experimental mechanics.  His current research focuses on the biomechanics of flying insects.  

 

Hobbies

Hiking, snowboarding, camping, kayaking, exploring the wonderful nature MT has to offer, hammock-ing.  

   [email protected]

Graduate Students

Cailin Casey

Cailin Casey

PhD Student
 
Cailin is a second year Mechanical Engineering PhD student. She graduated with a B.A in Biology and Spanish and a minor in mathematics from Gettysburg College. She leverages her cross disciplinary studies to understand the role of the thorax cuticle in insect flight by examining its microscale properties (in the Heveran Lab) and performing macroscale mechanical testing (in the Jankauski lab). 
 
Hobbies
volleyball, reading, true crime podcasts, volunteering, petting other people's dogs
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Braden Cote

Braden Cote

PhD Student

Braden graduated from Gonzaga University in 2020 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He is working on his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on the system level modeling of flying insects. He is developing comprehensive dynamic models to describe the behavior of the flight mechanism as a whole, synthesizing previously compartmentalized work that studied the various components of the flight mechanism (i.e. thorax, wing, and wing hinge). After graduating Braden hopes to spend time as a post doc then return to the robotics or aerospace industry in an R&D role, possibly start his own aerial robotics company.

 

Hobbies

Basketball, Skiing, Mountain Biking, Cooking

   [email protected]
Mr. Smith

Ryan Schwab

PhD Student

Ryan graduated from Montana State University in 2018 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He is working on his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on fluid-structure interaction of flapping, flexible wings.  He is developing reduced order models to simulate flapping wings that solve faster than conventional CFD/FEA models, without sacrificing necessary accuracy. After college, Ryan hopes to go into industry in an R&D role at an aerospace company.
 
Hobbies
Paragliding, backcountry skiing, volunteering at camps for kids with type1 diabetes, reading, eating snacks
   [email protected]

 

 
Joe Reade

Joseph Reade

PhD Student

Joe graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University. He is now working towards a Master's in Mechanical Engineering. His research is focused on low-order modeling of flexible wing structural dynamics and aerodynamics.

 

Hobbies

 Joe enjoys skiing, paragliding, reading, and video games.

   [email protected]

 

 

 

Undergraduate Students

 

 

 

Laboratory Alumni

Heidi Reid, MSME 2019

Chris Lange, MSME 2020

Montana Marks, MSME 2021

Claire Yager, BS Animal Sciences , 2021

 

Our Furry Friends 

Ray

Rajon

 

Rajon (aka Ray) is a 10 year old good, good boy.