GCAPS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Projects Operations Manager
- Research Project Manager
Alex Hatchett is the Sponsored Projects Operations Manager for the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). Hatchett is known for his detail-oriented approach to design and his dedication to his projects, which include advertising, web design, 3-D modeling, scenario authoring, and virtual environment Development. He started at GCAPS in 2017 as a Machine Operator of the LTRe, before joining the autonomous vehicle simulation program as creative lead and later, Sponsored Projects Operations Manager. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Graphic Design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Job Titles:
- Maintenance, Safety, & Facilities Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Test and Simulation Engineer
Chethan has a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers, NJ. He joined the GCAPS team as a test engineer in 2016. Chethan currently is involved in developing thermal and velocity tire models, creating high fidelity MF and PAC tire models, tire test preparation, data analysis, in house tool development and test execution. He has been heavily involved in various projects relating to tire modeling, benchmark projects, tire behavior projects, among others.
Job Titles:
- Development Engineer
- Research Engineer
David Billet is a development engineer who has worked at GCAPS since 2012 after graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since then, he has worked in almost every facet of GCAPS: multi-post vehicle testing, tire testing, data analysis, tool development, and virtual simulation. His specialty is creating intuitive and useful tools to assist with data visualization and processing, and has helped create many of the tools that other GCAPS employees use on a daily basis. He is creative, driven, and always brings a positive outlook and unique sense of humor to his work. Currently, David is working in the field of automated vehicles, using naturalistic driving data to help develop virtual test scenarios that will ensure driving algorithms can be as safe as human drivers in complicated real-world situations.
Job Titles:
- a Data Specialist
- Data Specialist
Dillon Alderson joined GCAPS as a Data Specialist in June 2022. Dillon has extensive knowledge in 3D modeling/printing, automation, sales and supply chain management. His drive and passion for creating solutions for complex problems through a variety of processes are a welcome addition to the team. Dillon recently completed his Linux + CompTIA Certification course at the IT Academy of Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. He will focus on automation and utilizing multiple tools to improve the quality and accuracy of generating simulations.
Job Titles:
- Client Engagement and Technical Solutions Manager
Dr. Alex O'Neill will be applying his proven talents and knowledge in the tire modeling arena to develop and execute strategic market expansion and client engagement efforts. He obtained a Master's degree in astrophysics, applied himself to a short career in banking and teaching before deciding to take on a Ph.D. in engineering. O'Neill worked on a joint project between Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Surrey, developing a methodology to translate tire forces from sandpaper to asphalt.
Dr. Kevin Kefauver is the Technical Director for the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). In this role, Dr. Kefauver directs the research and development of test techniques, data analyses, controls development, and modeling and simulation advances for advanced vehicle development. Currently, Dr. Kefauver is developing processes for reducing Naturalistic Driving Data into appropriate datasets and vehicle dynamic simulations that allow ADAS and ADS developers to evaluate and improve their systems. Dr. Kefauver has extensive experience in vehicle dynamic testing, modeling, and simulation. His experience also includes vehicle testing and advanced data analysis while with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center at the Roadway Simulator facility.
Dr. Lauri Mustonen is a Research Scientist for the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). His focus is on developing algorithms and tools for intelligent vehicles and for analyzing large sets of vehicle and traffic data. Dr. Mustonen has expertise in scientific computing, physics, partial differential equations, and Bayesian statistics. He received his doctoral degree in mathematics at Aalto University, Finland, and also has postdoctoral research experience at Emory University, GA, and Stanford University, CA.
Sean Hubbard is a Research Scientist at GCAPS. Prior to joining GCAPS, Sean spent more than six years studying the design of mechanisms to exploit linear and nonlinear dynamics in aerospace-, marine-, and civil defense applications. He was responsible for the design and implementation of computational models of dynamic systems, model validation, design optimization, and system identification. More recently he worked as a Product Development Engineer for a manufacturer of industrial pneumatic machinery where he acted as the project manager for development projects and was responsible for engineering the design of new products. Sean's research interests are linear and nonlinear dynamics, modeling and simulation of dynamic systems, simulation-based design and optimization, traffic-safety modeling, and surrogate safety measures. Sean earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Toledo and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Job Titles:
- Research Scientist
- Modeling and Simulation Engineer
Dr. Yi Li is a Research Scientist for the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). He specializes in the field of tire mechanics and the mathematical modeling of tire behavior. His knowledge of multi-body dynamics and continuous mechanics enables him to advance the tire model development and parameter identification capability at GCAPS. Dr. Li has five years' experience in Finite Element modeling of large-scale linear and nonlinear mechanical systems involving geometric and constitutive nonlinearity. His work also includes model validation to correlate model predictions with physical tests.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of the Global Center for Automotive Performance
Frank Della Pia is the Executive Director of the Global Center for Automotive Performance (GCAPS). He joined GCAPS in 2010 and is responsible for leading all operations. Prior to GCAPS, Della Pia spent 34 years working in various positions within General Motors, including in vehicle development, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing and test lab management. He graduated from Michigan State University's School of Packaging Engineering and is a motorsports and vehicle enthusiast with a focus on the new technologies coming to the transportation industry.
Jonathan Darab is the Operations Director for the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). His responsibilities include new business development, technical sales, customer relations, and new technology development. Before joining GCAPS, Darab spent 12 years at General Motors in a variety of positions ranging from design to testing to manufacturing quality, with the majority being in vehicle dynamics. In these roles, he operated servo-hydraulic equipment for vehicle dynamics characterization, conducted advanced development of suspensions, and developed equipment and test procedures for advanced vehicle and tire testing. Darab has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S. in Global Vehicle Integration. He holds four patents in tire and suspensions.
Prathamesh started his journey with GCAPS as a Flat Belt Force and Moment operator and now he is working as a Tire Test Engineer- I. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Shivaji University, India., and a Master's degree in Automotive Systems Engineering with a concentration on Vehicle/Tire dynamics and modeling from Kettering University, Flint, MI. He plays crucial roles in test preparation, execution and is dedicated towards continuous research & development in Vehicle Dynamics domain.
Savannah Mason is a data specialist at the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS). Her responsibilities include research for the sponsored projects team, tire test preparation and post processing for the tire testing team. Prior to joining GCAPS in 2018, Savannah served our country through military service and three international deployments. Upon leaving the Army, she worked full-time as an HR manager while also furthering her education. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management and a M.S. in Management with a concentration in Information Security Systems from Colorado Technical University. Savannah enjoys spending time with her family in her spare time.
Steven Huggins has worked in the automotive field for 8 years. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, and his professional career started with GCAPS as a test engineer and operator for the 8-Post vehicle test lab. Shortly thereafter, he moved to a test engineer for their tire test lab. He interfaced with customers to develop tests and analyze their data. He became a team leader for operations and managed projects. He has since moved to the growing field of automated vehicles from testing the perception sensors in the real world to building self-driving algorithms in simulation. He will continue to work on novel projects that combine his expertise in data collection, simulation, and analysis in the future of the automotive industry.
Job Titles:
- Client Relationship Manager ( Japan and South Korea )
Job Titles:
- Data Specialist for the Global Center for Automotive Performance
Zach Saunders is a Data Specialist for the Global Center for Automotive Performance (GCAPS). He joined GCAPS in 2018 after participating in the Information Technology Academy at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and earning certifications such as CompTIA Network+ and Security+. His persistence to solving problems and learning has allowed him to excel at GCAPS where he has taken on challenges in vehicle-to-everything communication and worked in software development. Additionally, he assists in leading the virtual 3-D environment generation efforts at GCAPS. Saunders' determination to solve interesting challenges and adapt to advancements in technology aligns with GCAPS' interests and goals.