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The U.S. Naval Academy
Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering
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Faculty and Staff

Department Administration

Chair: Prof. Jenelle Piepmeier (piepmeie@usna.edu )
Associate Chair: CDR Donald "Bucket" Costello (dcostell@usna.edu)
Executive Assistant: CDR Danica Middlebrook (dmiddleb@usna.edu)
Educational Technician: Barbara Burgett (burgett@usna.edu)

Faculty Listing

Faculty members that hold academic rank comprise Career Civilian Faculty (tenure-track and tenured), Permanent Military Professors, and Research Professors; they have earned terminal degrees in their fields of inquiry; they teach primarily the courses associated with the major in Robotics and Control Engineering; they provide expertise and leadership in all matters academic.

Military officers and visiting faculty members typically teach the courses of the Weapons Program; they provide unmatched operational, real-world experience with modern naval weapons systems and most hold a Masters degree in a technical field; they are recognized with the academic title of Instructor.  In addition, they serve as professional mentors and role models for the midshipman.

  • Berthelotte, Brad M.

    LCDR, USN Junior Permanent Military Professor M.S., in Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Bishop, Brad

    Professor & Associate Dean of the School of Engineering and Weapons Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1997
    Research Interests
    Mobile Robotics, Multi-Agent Systems
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  • Brown, Jonathan

    Capt, USMC Master Instructor M.S., Naval Postgraduate School

  • Costello, Donald

    CDR, USN Permanent Military Professor and Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Maryland
    Research Interests
    Computer Vision, Cyber-Physical Systems, Machine Learning, Mobile Robotics, Multi-agent Systems, Robotic Manipulation
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  • Dawkins, Jeremy

    Associate Professor Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, 2011
    Research Interests
    Dynamics and Control Theory, Mobile Robotics, Multi-Agent Systems
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  • Elsberry, Allan

    LCDR, USN Master Instructor M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology
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  • Frontera, Paul J.

    CDR, USN Permanent Military Professor and Assistant Professor Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, 2016
    Research Interests
    Maritime autonomy, nonlinear estimation, optimal control
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  • Juriga, Jacob

    LT, USN Senior Instructor M.S., Naval Postgraduate School
    • HP228
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  • Kiriakidis, Kiriakos

    Professor Ph.D., Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 1996
    Research Interests
    Detection and tracking of multiple targets, system-theoretic analysis of biomedical and biological systems, estimation and control based on aggregate models

  • Knowles, Ken

    Professor Emeritus Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, 1977

  • Kutzer, Michael

    Associate Professor Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2012
    Research Interests
    Robotic manipulation, additive manufacturing, computer vision
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  • Martinez, Kimberly

    CDR, USNR Senior Instructor M.S. in Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Middlebrook, Danica

    CDR, USNR Master Instructor M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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  • Miles, Benjamin

    Capt, USMC Senior Instructor M.S., Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Morley, Joseph

    Capt, USMC Master Instructor M.S., Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Mwaffo, Violet

    Assistant Professor Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering
    Research Interests
    Biomechanics and Bioinspired Robotics, Machine Learning, Multi-Agent Systems
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  • Peltier, Donald W. III

    LCDR, USN Senior Instructor M.S., Air Force Institute of Technology
    • HP258
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  • Piggrem, Brian

    LCDR, USN Instructor M.S., Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Pittman, Jerry

    LCDR, USN Senior Instructor M.B.A., Naval Postgraduate School
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  • Rodriguez-Seda, Erick

    Associate Professor Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011
    Research Interests
    Cyber-Physical Systems, Dynamics and Control Theory, Mobile Robotics, Multi-Agent Systems
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  • Severson, Tracie

    CAPT, USN Permanent Military Professor and Associate Professor Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, 2013
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  • Webster-Giddings, Allison

    PEO/IWS Research Engineer Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy, Vanderbilt University, 2019

  • Wick, Carl

    LCDR, USN (retired) Professor Emeritus D.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, George Washington University
    Research Interests
    Digital communications systems, autonomous/remote vehicles, sensors and sensor signal processing
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  • Zivi, Edwin

    Professor Emeritus Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 1989
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