2016-2017 Administration

Kenneth Ricks
Faculty Advisor
​Associate Professor. Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Forever on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Runs the place
• Has a Chili Pepper on RateMyProfessor.com
• "Old" and "Mean" -Dr. Ricks

Joseph Kabalin
Team Lead
Senior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: All the Teams
• Once tried out to be Big Al!
  
• ​Resident SolidWorks Guru

Joshua Yarbrough
Systems Engineer
Senior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: All the Teams
• Hobbies: woodworking, cooking, and playing different instruments
• Would love a job in space or robotics industries

Brent Chester
Logistics Lead
Senior

• 4th Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Mechanical
• Loves the Tide!
• ​Collects vintage video games

Rebecca Dietz
Base Lead
Senior

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Bucket list includes being knighted and learning to fly
• Pittman's Evil Twin

Max Eastepp
Electrical Lead
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Mechanical
• 6th year building robots
• Also known as RadioShack

Derrill Koelz
Software Co-Lead
Senior

• 4th Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Software
• It takes me far too long to try to think of things about myself
• ​I teach music to young people

Alex Pittman
Payload Lead
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Owns more hair products than a salon
• Dietz's Evil Twin

Alex Wilson
Social Media Lead
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical, Mechanical, and Software
• Certified Pilot
• ​Volunteer Firefighter

2016-2017 Team Members

Hannah Abel

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical

Jordan Anderson
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Played Ice Hockey for 13 years
• Plays way too much Xbox

​Adam Benabbou
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechaincal
• From Morocco
• Can code in FORTRAN​​

Jonathan Blake
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Software, Electrical
• Built a quadcopter in high school
• Solves crosswords in spare time

​Mason Blanke
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• ​Subsystems: Mechanical and Electrical​
• Moved 19 times
• Played for a nationally ranked rugby team in high school

Jacob Child
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Drove his team's robot at the 2015 FIRST Championship
• Forever and always a child

​

​Matthew Culver
Junior

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical and Software
• Aerospace Engineer double majoring in History
• Has been in aerospace vehicles​​​

Spencer Davis
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Has an oscilliscope in his dorm room
• Sometimes called Mini-Max​

Corey Edwards
Sophomore

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Feels much more like he does now than he used to
• Skilled at saying a lot without saying anything​​

Justin Estep
Junior

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Software
• Raced dirt bikes when I was in middle school
• Have a strange obsession with Rubik's cubes​​

​Tyler Gester
Senior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical and Software
• Used to row on the crew team
• Has a pilot's license

​Samuel Griffin
Graduate Student

• 5th Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Software
• Video game collector
• Music Enthusiast 

​Bailey Gulsby
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Software
• Has been in a rodeo before
• Likes cooking

Luke Hamilton
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical and Electrical​
• Can run a mile in under 4 and a half minutes
• Movie connoisseur​​

Nick Hohs
Junior

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Software​​

Gordon "Bracken" Jones
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Mechanical
• 1/128th Cherokee

Kevin Kearney
​Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Watches too many cartoons
• Enjoys reading Jane Austen novels​

​William Khan
Senior

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Pronounced "preface' incorrectly most of his life (until recently)
• Skips the preface out of spite​ ​​

Semitra Lee

• ​​1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical

Samuel Mondier

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics​

Joseph Mosset
Sophomore

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• 8th consecutive year in robotics competitions
• Has been on 5 different robotics team

Liam Nester
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics​
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• NASCAR Fan
• Uses too many words not in the dictionary​​

Phuong Nguyen
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics​​

Victor Nguyen
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Apple fanboy
• Favorite color is yellow

​

​RJ Porter
Senior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• An avid podcast listener
• A novice archer

Jarod Robinson
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical and Electrical
• Loves Physics
• Pretends to be athletic

​Huston Rogers
Graduate Student

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical and Software
• Likes carpentry
• Challenging Caleb for more cynical

​Jed Rutherford
Senior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Has two male offspring​

​​Sean Stephens
Junior

• 2nd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Software
• Owns 5 types of Rubik's cubes, but can only solve 3 of them
• Longboards to Astrobotics meetings

Charlie Stienmetz
Sophomore

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical

​

Drake Taylor
Sophomore

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Loves to wear the same shirt multiple days in a row
• Plays guitar and banjo with mediocre skill

​​Brian Walker
Sophomore

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Thinks dragons are cool
• Wants to learn how to sword fight

​​Mathew Ward
Sophomore

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Electrical
• Water Polo Player
• Works for Athletic Department​

Joeseph Zarkoski
Freshman

• 1st Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Was the Chick-fil-a Cow
• Aspires to be a Crimsonette​

​​Tyler Zell
Junior

• 3rd Year on Alabama Astrobotics
• Subsystems: Mechanical
• Has traveled to over 30 states and 7 countries
• Tallest member of the Astrobotics team​​