Cassie-Kay McQuinn graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering with Summa Cum Laude and Engineering Honors, and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering both from Texas A&M University. Her Masters thesis, titled “Online Near-Real Time Open-Loop System Identification from Closed-Loop Flight Test Data“, investigated identifying linear dynamic models onboard a vehicle in near-real time with and without an active controller. This work was performed for a small Unmanned Air System (UAS) utilizing low cost, commercial-off-the-shelf components.
Cassie-Kay is pursuing a Ph.D. and has been an active member of VSCL since Fall 2021 In addition to completing Engineering Honors, she is a Presidential Endowed Scholar, the 2021 Aerospace Engineering Advisory Board Scholarship recipient, and has earned a certificate of Holistic Leadership in Engineering through completion of the Zachry Leadership Program. She is the former President of the Texas A&M chapter of the Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Engineering Honor Society. While being a grad student she has interned with Sandia National Labs and most recently with the Air Force Research Lab researching safe autonomy for aerospace systems. As an undergraduate she interned with L3Harris Technologies working in the Structural Analysis and Structural Design departments.
Cassie-Kay’s current work investigates applying run time assurance algorithms for safety critical systems. Her interests are in the implementation of trusted autonomy, flight testing, and aircraft dynamics.