Current Students


Academic Programs-Explore Graduate programs in Acoustics at UT

Acoustical Society of America-Austin Student Chapter-get involved and connect with other UT students in acoustics

Information on Parking and Public Transportation

 

Social Events

Acoustics students gather on Fridays after the acoustics seminar for happy hour at the local pub, Posse East. This reoccurring event is not sponsored by the student chapter, but it is a collection of folks getting together to unwind and discuss the week. Come on over and hang out! Other social events will be announced via email to the ASA student chapter mailing list.

 

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Current Student Biographies

 

Anthony Bonomo

Anthony Bonomo is a current PhD student at The University of Texas at Austin and graduate research assistant at Applied Research Laboratories. Anthony received a Master’s of Science Engineering from UT in 2014. He previously attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he graduated Cum Laude with bachelor’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Jazz Studies in 2012. At ARL, Anthony studies acoustic interactions with ocean sediments under the supervision of Drs. Marcia Isakson and Nicholas Chotiros. Anthony is a recipient of the SMART Scholarship, a competitive scholarship-for-service program sponsored by the American Society for Engineering Education and the Department of Defense. His DoD sponsoring facility is the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.

Dan Hemme was brought to the study of acoustics through his interests in music and the physical sciences – his primary areas of study are room acoustics, mechanical systems noise control, and audio. Previous to graduate school, Dan received a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from UT Austin; he also has over 15 years experience in audio recording and sound reinforcement. Dan’s research involves the determination of typical sound spectra for HVAC chiller units utilizing helical screw compressors, of various capacities and under various operating conditions. Dan is pursuing his Master’s degree while working full time as an acoustical consultant, and intends to complete his studies by May 2016.

Jay Johnson is entering the second year of his MS/PhD work this fall. After earning Bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison he came to UT to study acoustics. He is currently working on two projects with Dr. Wilson. The first is investigating the acoustics of coffee bean roasting. During the roasting process, coffee beans emit two distinct ‘cracks’. These could ultimately be used to monitor the beans during the roast. The second project is studying sound propagation through various seagrass species. The goal is to determine the health of an aquatic environment with acoustic sensing alone. Jay hopes to finish his Master’s degree next year and continue at UT for his Ph.D.

 

Michael MuhlesteinMichael Muhlestein did his undergrad and masters in Physics at Brigham Young University.  He works with Dr. Michael Haberman on acoustic metamaterials.  His work focuses on developing theoretical schemes to determine the effective material properties of composite materials.  Michael hopes to graduate in late 2016.

 

 

 

Gabe VenegasBefore arriving at UT, Gabe Venegas received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Boston University. He currently works with Dr. Wilson on the ONR sponsored acoustic characterization of the ocean bottom. Gabe conducts laboratory experiments using a resonance tube to measure low frequency compressional wave speed and attenuation of ocean floor sediments. He has recently attended a sea trip to the New England Mud Patch, where he measured sediment samples cored directly from the ocean bottom. Gabe is finishing his Master’s degree and will ultimately continue to PhD under the same project.

 

Randy WilliamsRandy Williams is working towards his PhD with Dr. Neal Hall in the UT Acoustic MEMS group, developing novel micro-machined acoustic transducers for audio and measurement applications.  Randy is currently working on the design and fabrication an underwater acoustic intensity sensor with unprecedented sensitivity, capable of measuring 20-dB below some of the quietest deep-water measurements to date.  Randy previously earned the BS degree from Texas A&M University and the MS degree from The University of Texas, both in Mechanical Engineering, and is a registered professional engineer licensed to practice in the state of Texas.