Sankalp Bhan

Senior Research Scientist at Amazon and Professor at WUSTL

Seattle, Washington, United States

About

- Scientist and leader with expertise in applied mathematics: optimization, estimation, and control - Skilled at delivering results in ambiguous, high-risk projects and leading with a strong bias for action and system-level understanding - Experienced in technical ownership for projects with an international team and requires simple distillation of complex issues for senior leadership - Awarded Amazon Prime Air's "Just Do It Award" (2023) for demonstrating the feasibility of a technical project that developed into the avionics hardware and supplier selection for Amazon's Mk30 drone, and the "All About the Customer" (2022) for a strategy for flight data collection and analysis - Technical experience: Applied Mathematics, System Modeling and Identification, Dynamical Systems, Optimization, Optimal Control and Optimal Estimation, Probability and Random Processes - Leadership experience: Team Leadership, Technical Strategy, Algorithm Development, System Design and Development, Technical Project Management, Software Integration - Past Work Experiences: Aerospace, Autonomous Systems, Robotics - Have taught the love of engineering and applied mathematics to senior undergraduates in electrical engineering at Washington University since 2019

Experience

  • Amazon (Seattle, Washington, United States)
    • Senior Research Scientist
      Oct 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 9 mos

      I'm the systems science lead for the Guidance, Navigation, and Control team at Amazon Prime Air. I led the Mk30 Block 10 monitor and recovery lane to first flight. I led GNC development for the Mk30 Block 20 drone to its first flight.

    • Research Scientist II
      Mar 2021 - Oct 2023 · 2 yrs 8 mos

      I designed and led the monitor and recovery lane for Mk30 Block 10. I also created Prime Air's nonlinear stability analysis, GNC probabilistic requirements verification analysis, and stochastic turbulence model.

  • Adjunct Professor at Washington University in St. Louis
    Jun 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 1 mo

    I teach Autonomous Aeriel Vehicle Control Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. I have been teaching senior undergraduates for 5 years.

  • Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer at Boeing
    Jul 2013 - Feb 2021 · 7 yrs 8 mos

    I've designed flight control systems for the Dominator UAV, F-15SA, MQ-25, T-7A, and Ramjet 155 guided projectile.

  • Process Control Engineer at Shell
    Jun 2012 - Jul 2013 · 1 yr 2 mos

    I designed MPC, base-layer control, and process monitoring at Shell's refineries and platforms.