Our Team

Meet the researchers behind BRCL

Faculty

Zheng Chen

Faculty - Associate Professor & Lab Director

Dr. Zheng Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the University of Houston and Director of the Bio-...

Current PhD Students

Denizcan Koc

Ph.D. Student

Mr. Koc is a PhD student in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department. Born in Ankara, Turkey in 1997, he received his BS degree in Mechanical...

Umar Masood

Ph.D. Student & Lab Manager

Mr. Masood is a PhD student and Lab Manager at BRCL. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechatronics Engineering from National University of ...

Qiang Zhu

Ph.D. Student

Mr. Zhu is a PhD student born in China. He received his bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering at Jilin University in 2018 and his master's degree...

Yuhang Ying

Ph.D. Student

Mr. Ying is a PhD student born in Jiamusi, China in 2002. He received his BS degree in Vehicle Engineering at Hefei University of Technology in 2024. ...

Salvador Gonzalez

Ph.D. Student

Mr. Gonzalez is a PhD student whose family comes from Guadalajara, Mexico. He earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Cullen College in 202...

Alumni

Theophilus Kaaya

Ph.D. Alumnus (2023)

Dr. Kaaya was born in Uganda and received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston. His research focused on designing wings of bio-inspired robotic manta rays using soft ma...

Shengbin Wang

Ph.D. Alumnus (2022)

Dr. Wang was born in Hubei, China. He received his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hefei University of Technology and BS degree from Huazhong Agricultural University. At BRCL, he focused on n...

Wenyu Zuo

Ph.D. Alumnus (2022) - Former Lab Manager

Dr. Zuo was the lab manager of BRCL. Born in China in 1991, he received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo. His research focused on optimal design and control of rob...

Xiongfeng Yi

Ph.D. Alumnus (2021)

Dr. Yi was born in Wuhan, China in 1993. He received his MS degree in Fluid Mechanics from Brown University and BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology. His research f...

Alicia Keow

Ph.D. Alumnus (2021)

Dr. Keow was born in Malaysia and received her BS degree in Electrical Engineering at Wichita State University in 2016. She received her PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering in August 2021. Her resear...

Zhihang Ye

Ph.D. Alumnus (2017)

Dr. Ye was born in China. He received his Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from Shandong University in 2008 and Master Degree in Control Science and Engineering from Tongji University in 2012...

Rahul Venkatraman

M.S. Alumnus - Aerospace Engineering

Mr. Venkatraman received his MS degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Space Architecture at the University of Houston and BS from Texas A&M University. At BRCL, he researched methods of using dielectri...

Tushar Nagpure

M.S. Alumnus (2015)

Mr. Nagpure was born in India in 1991. He received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University in 2012 and MS degree in Electrical Engineering at Wichita State University in 2015. H...

Tianxu Yang

M.S. Alumnus (2015)

Mr. Yang was born in China in 1988. He received his MS degree in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University in 2015. His research focused on development of 2D maneuverable robotic fish prope...

Piqi Hou

M.S. Alumnus (2016)

Mr. Hou was born in China and received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University in 2014. His research focused on development of highly maneuverable bio-inspired robotic fi...

Sandeep Reddy Chitti

M.S. Alumnus (2017)

Mr. Chitti was born in India in 1994. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from SR Engineering College in 2015 and MS degree in Electrical Engineering at Wichita S...