Mark Emad is EERL’s Graduate Research Assistant, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. His research focuses on UAV-based sensing systems for emissions detection and measurement. Mark’s work at EERL involves the integration, testing, and deployment of airborne methane detection systems, including sensor payload development and system-level integration on fixed-wing and vertical take-off and landing UAV platforms. His interests span UAV and UGV design, robotics and autonomous systems, control systems, embedded hardware, and applied physics for engineering and sensing applications.He is particularly motivated by designing and building robotic systems from the ground up, integrating sensing, control, and hardware for real-world deployments, and applying robotics to environmental monitoring.