Michael Huston is a mechanical engineering graduate student at Iowa State University studying energetic materials. He has a MS in mechanical engineering from ISU and a BS in mechanical engineering, also from ISU, graduating cum laude. His research focuses on flame propagation and combustion of aluminum and PTFE mechanically activated composites. He has experience fabricating, testing, and characterizing energetic materials and pyrotechnics.

1. MICHAEL HUSTON 1321 Linn Street, Boone, IA 50036
mrhuston@iastate.edu (515)230-8080
EDUCATION
MASTER OF SCIENCE, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
January 2015 – Present (May 2017) Ames, Iowa
GPA: 3.53 / 4.0
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
August 2010 - December 2014 Ames, Iowa
Cum Laude
Dean’s list: Fall 2010-Spring 2014
Archival Journal Publications
Huston, M. R., Feng, L. Y., Sippel, T. R., “Flame Propagation of Al/PTFE Mechanically
Activated Composites” (In preparation for submission to Combustion & Flame)
Conference Papers / Presentations
Sippel, T. R., Huston, M. R., Feng, L. Y., “Flame Propagation of Al/PTFE Mechanically
Activated Composites” AIChE 2014 Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
Huston, M. R., Feng, L. Y., Nellums, R. R., Sippel, T. R., “Reduced Aging, Mechanically
Activated Aluminum Reactives Incorporating Alternative Fluorocarbons” AIChE 2015
Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT
Huston, M. R., Barkley, S. J., Sippel, T. R., “Tunable Aluminum and Liquid Fluorocarbon Pyrotechnics” AIChE 2016
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
CAREER EXPERIENCE
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Ames, Iowa
Graduate Research Assistant Jan 2015 – Present
 General experience in fabrication experimentation, and handling of hazard class
1.1, 1.3, 1.4 pyrotechnics, explosives, and propellants.
 Equilibrium code analysis of energetic material performance
 Nanoscale energetic material fabrication: Ball milling mechanical activation, sonication
 Combustion measurement and diagnostics: Confined flame propagation, flame emission
spectroscopy, high pressure combustion, CO2 laser ignition
 Energetic materials characterization: DSC/TGA analysis, MS/FTIR evolved gas analysis,
SEM and EDS analytical interpretation, thermal property measurement (transient plane
source technique),
 Energetic materials safety and characterization: Mil-Std 1751 ESD and impact sensitivity
Undergraduate / Graduate Teaching Assistant August 2012 – May 2015
 Teaching assistant for courses in ME 332 (Thermodynamics II) and ME 335
(Fluids; both laboratory and classroom)
 Experienced in making thermofluid measurements (temperature, flow rate, pressure),
valve/actuator control, and data acquisition
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY Littleton, Colorado
Development Engineer May 2016 – August 2016
 Develop SOPs
 Energetic material production and characterization
 Fabrication of testing materials

2. HAWKEYE PEDERSHAAB Mediapolis, Iowa
Mechanical Engineer Intern January 2013 – August 2013
 Experienced in top-down mechanical design and FEA analysis (Solidworks)
 Prototyping (design of an electro-hydraulic shuttle system)
 Specification of electronic and diesel motors for prototype shuttle system
CASE NEW HOLLAND Burlington, IA
Clean and hang/ (Self-initiated) Welder September 2007 -August 2013
 MIG welding experience (fillet welding, porosity and penetration inspection)
 Manufacturing efficiency: Stud weld station reconfiguration and process
improvement for increased throughput
ADECCO EMPLOYMENT SERVICES – GENERAL ELECTRIC Ft. Madison, IA – Burlington, IA
Operator December 2006-August 2007
 Familiar with G-code programming of machining operations: shears, CNC punch
presses, and forklifts
HEATILATOR: HEARTH AND HOME TECHNOLOGIES Mt. Pleasant, IA
Utility August 2005 – November 2006
 Experienced in spot welding and machining (CNC machining and G-code
programming), and various automated and manual machining operations
 Fill-in team lead responsible for production of various gas fireplaces
PROJECT EXPERIENCE
 Designed a cost effective water pump an entrepreneur can readily build and install in
Uganda
 Studied, redesigned and built a mechanical prototype for ISU’s Lunabotics team
 Worked with ISU’s HABET team to incorporate a guidance system to their balloon
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
Software: Solidworks, VBA, RFFlow, EES, Matlab, equilibrium combustion analysis (CEA and
Cheetah), video analysis and image processing (SEM/EDS), DSC/TGA-MS/FTIR, Calorimetry, SenTest and
Microsoft Office
REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST