Experience
Space Systems Principal Engineer, and Rover Lead
Fugro, Perth, WA, Australia
Principal Engineer at the Space Automation, AI, and Robotics Control (
SpAARC) Complex. Lead full life-cycle development from proposal to delivery, ensuring system-engineered solutions align with mission outcomes across space, mining, and defence. Selected as
Rover Lead for the Australian Space Agency’s
Trailblazer program, directing a distributed
lunar rover team through a successful preliminary design review. Responsible for flight system architecture, performance, and functional requirements, integration, testing, and operational concepts, developed in accordance with NASA and ASA standards.
Head of Technology Development
Woodside Energy, Perth, WA, Australia
Directed research, adoption, and operating models for emerging technologies across the energy sector. Delivered cloud-integrated, digital twin-enabled robotics solutions—featured by
AWS and
Boston Dynamics as
case studies—driving operational transformation. Managed a portfolio spanning advanced 3D additive manufacturing, corrosion management, offshore robotic inspection, uncrewed helicopters, drone inspection, quadruped robots, and humanoid-inspired platforms. Scaled the team from a small R&D group into an implementation-focused, customer-centric engineering organization. Aligned outcomes with strategic business value using Amazon’s Working Backwards and similar methodologies, while building partner ecosystems across industry, academia, and government to accelerate technology maturity.
Group Lead, Project Manager, and Senior Research Scientist
Intelligent Systems, NASA Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mountain View, CA, US
Managed an $8.5M annual portfolio of 20+ research programs, leading a 35-person team delivering autonomous systems, ground software, and spacecraft software. Advanced NASA’s
robotics and autonomy capabilities across satellites, rovers, machine learning, human–robot interaction, self-driving vehicles, and robotic design. Research outputs supported open-source
software, International Space Station flight projects, field deployments, and laboratory demonstrations. Built and managed multi-partner collaborations to align technical roadmaps with strategic goals in aerospace and defense. Actively developed and pitched new initiatives to NASA Headquarters, securing investments tied to mission priorities. Served as the initial Project Manager for the Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) program, culminating in a 2024 in-orbit demonstration of the first fully autonomous
distributed space mission. The mission achieved five
industry firsts and is now a reference standard for future multi-billion-dollar NASA programs.
Program Manager
Tactical Technology Office (TTO) and Defense Sciences Office (DSO)
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, VA, US
Selected as one of ~100 Program Managers entrusted with guiding the agency’s $3B annual research portfolio, providing domain-wide thought leadership and shaping the U.S. military’s future technical superiority. Led programs spanning autonomy, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and human–machine teaming, while serving as a senior advisor to the White House and Department of Homeland Security on urgent national security and technology issues.
- Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA): Developed a new class of algorithms enabling UAVs to fly safely at 20 m/s in cluttered environments, advancing robotics at tactically relevant speeds.
- Manufacturing Experimentation and Outreach (MENTOR2): Delivered design, advanced prototyping, and training platforms—including 3D printing—for soldier readiness and adaptation of high-technology systems.
- Robotics Fast Track (RFT): Launched a fast‑paced, up to $150K prototype award program to attract agile innovators—including Makers—to rapidly create revolutionary robotics and AI technologies across land, sea, air, and space—a mechanism that champions unconventional ideas and lowers entry barriers while maintaining a research-first mindset.
- Seedling Investigations: Initiated exploratory research in areas including robotic swarms, Secure ROS, counter-UAS systems, violent crowd behavior prediction, and human performance modeling.
Research Scientist, Project Lead, and Engineering Manager
Intelligent Systems, NASA Ames Research Center
Carnegie Mellon University, Mountain View, CA, US
Led the Human Exploration and Telerobotics
Smart-SPHERES project, which modified and certified the first space-rated consumer smartphone and delivered it to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the final
Space Shuttle mission. He was accountable for all aspects of flight certification, procedures, and technical execution. Mark became the first non-flight-certified operator from Mission Control Houston to command an uncrewed spacecraft on the ISS. The project laid the groundwork for the
Astro-Bee free-flyer program, now a key ISS capability. Also served as Engineering Manager for the ISS SPHERES National Laboratory, overseeing multiple customer-facing teams supporting on-orbit payload operations and ground-based testing. Directed technical planning, resource allocation, facility operations, vendor contracts, and Space Act agreements, while leading the successful transition of the SPHERES program from MIT and the U.S. Air Force to NASA Ames.
Additional experience and skills available.
Chief Technology Officer
Pre-Script, LLC, Mountain View, CA
Directed all technology and digital platforms for a fast-growing human performance education company, overseeing evaluation, deployment, adoption, and long-term sustainability. Managed the full suite of digital product platforms, including
website infrastructure, point-of-sale systems, course delivery, mailing lists, analytics, and customer support workflows. Architected and delivered custom middleware connecting the Squarespace point-of-sale system to the MyPTHub exercise delivery platform, requiring reverse engineering of an undocumented RESTful API. Led customer migration, training, and documentation to ensure a seamless transition. Strengthened platform resilience and scalability to support multiple certification courses and live coaching communities, providing the digital backbone for Pre-Script’s education and coaching mission.
Graduate Researcher and Project Lead
UMass Lowell Robotics Lab, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Conducted fundamental and patented research in
multi-touch computer interfaces,
human-computer interaction,
human-robot interaction,
search and rescue robotics, and assistive technologies for people with disabilities. Designed and carried out human subject experiments, authored federal and private sector grant proposals, and published peer-reviewed research while managing laboratory projects and student researchers. Secured funding and equipment support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, 3M, and Microsoft Research. Established collaborations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), applying robotic systems to urban search and rescue missions. This body of work laid the foundation for later leadership in robotics research and national security programs.
Research Associate
Intelligent Robotics Group, NASA Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mountain View, CA
Received a full scholarship to conduct research with NASA, focusing on early uses of mobile technology for emergency response. Created and tested an early prototype for GeoCam Mobile, a Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) smartphone app that offered geotagging on first-generation camera phones, integrating results into a Google Earth command-and-control interface. Additionally, participated in the 2008 Ikhana Predator Wildfire Flight Mission over California, supporting CalFire ground teams during the 2008 Big Sur wildfires—an effort later featured in Marvel’s Spider-Man comics. This early work showed how mobile and geospatial technologies can be used in real disaster response, paving the way for applied, field-tested technology and national resilience systems.
President and CEO
American Standard Robotics, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
Founded and launched the first company dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and deploying
robotic reconnaissance systems for survivor search in partially collapsed structures. Authored business plans, managed legal filings, secured capital investment, and assembled a multidisciplinary team of field-ready roboticists committed to delivering customer-focused solutions. Developed robust robotic platforms—including advanced crawlers and underwater remotely operated vehicles—for applications across industrial inspection, maritime operations, fire rescue, insurance investigation, and energy markets. Oversaw all aspects of product development, from mechanical, electrical, and software engineering to outsourced manufacturing partnerships with leading robotics firms. Led the creation of company branding, marketing strategy, and procedural documentation. Although the venture ultimately closed, the experience was formative, providing firsthand insight into shipping a finished product, business value creation, market entry challenges, and the realities of building technology-driven organizations. This entrepreneurial foundation profoundly shaped later leadership roles, and in industry, it anchored technical innovation in operational impact outcomes.
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Began hands-on work in the search and rescue robotics domain, serving as a technician, operator, and trainer while organizing response equipment and capabilities for field deployments. Gained deep experience operating, maintaining, modifying, and repairing a range of robotic platforms, including Inuktun Services, iRobot, RWI, ActivMedia, Khepera, and Nomadic systems. Supported first responders through technical training and on-site collaboration, building early relationships that would shape future work in disaster robotics. Contributed to projects funded by the National Science Foundation, DARPA TTO (Future Combat Systems), DARPA ATO (Tactical Mobile Robots), SAIC, Office of Naval Research, and the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. This formative role provided the practical foundation in robotics, field operations, and first responder engagement that informed later leadership at DARPA, FEMA, and industry.
Adjunct Faculty, Instructor
Polk Community College, Lakeland, FL
Taught PC Troubleshooting & Repair (CET 1173C-5930) courses based on the A+ certification curriculum. Developed and maintained class web pages for assignments, resources, and practice exams; held office hours and student appointments; and planned and supervised hands-on laboratory exercises. Achieved a 100% student pass rate on A+ certification exams for all participants, highlighting the effectiveness of thoughtful instruction, course design, and student mentorship.
Provided technical, security, and business strategy consulting services to government, public, and private institutions. Examples include:
- 2010: Knowledge Bridge International, Herndon, VA. Served as subject matter expert and technical lead on a Naval Air Systems Command contract, applying novel mobile phone technologies to support military intelligence operations.
- 2009: Semantic Research, San Diego, CA. Designed and produced a ruggedized field enclosure for the Barracuda radio monitoring system, deployed in global operational environments.
- 2006: iRobot, Burlington, MA. Evaluated and redesigned the human–robot interaction for the PackBot Explosive Ordnance Disposal robot, introducing game-controller interfaces to improve operator learnability.
- 2006: Center for Strategic Health Innovation / University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. Conducted red-team external security assessments of the Alabama Incident Management System (AIMS) and connected networks, identifying vulnerabilities through non-destructive penetration techniques.
Computer and Network Technician
ComputerMan!, Lakeland, FL
Operated as a self-managed technician for local businesses, providing secure network architecture design, structured cabling installation, and ongoing network management. Worked directly with customers on server maintenance and computer repairs, and conducted penetration testing (both intrusive and non-intrusive) for security audits. Performed post-incident forensic analysis of compromised servers to support recovery and resilience planning. This entrepreneurial role offered early experience in customer-facing technical services and built a solid foundation in cybersecurity and IT operations.
Computer and Network Technician
POLK COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Winter Haven, FL
Supported a multi-platform, multi-protocol network serving 1,200+ users, ensuring reliability and performance across a complex academic environment. Contributed to major network architecture transitions, including a complete campus-wide restructuring and IP renumbering initiative. Designed and implemented technical components of firewall systems, strengthening security and monitoring operations. This role provided early, hands-on exposure to large-scale infrastructure engineering and laid the groundwork for later expertise in systems architecture and cyber defense.