Education, Experience & Awards

My academic and professional journey in aerospace engineering, control systems, and UAV research.

Education

My academic background in aerospace and electrical engineering.

2023 - Present

Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering

Memorial University of Newfoundland | St. John's, Canada

GPA: 4.0/4.0

Thesis: Geometric-disturbance-based nonlinear model predictive control and trajectory planning for UAVs in safe convex corridors using differential-flatness-constrained convex optimization.

Status: Current

2017 - 2021

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Institute of Space Technology, Pakistan

GPA: 3.75/4.0

Thesis: Robust Control of a Quadrotor: An ADRC Approach

Status: Graduated

Work Experience

Professional roles in aerospace engineering, control systems, and UAV research.

Sep 2023 - Present

Graduate Research & Teaching Assistant

Memorial University | St. John's, Canada

• Geometric Disturbance Observer Based Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of a Quadrotor

• Safe-corridor generation in obstacle-dense environments (no-fly zones); NRC collaboration

• Convex trajectory optimization algorithm for fixed-wing UAVs within safe corridors

• A web app for UAV trajectory planning in no-fly zones or complex airspace

• Used the OptiTrack indoor motion-capture system for NMPC trajectory control of the Hummingbird

• Implemented various control algorithms on Quanser Cube, both servo and inverted pendulum

Sep 2024 - Nov 2024

Market Validation & Customer Discovery Lead

Mitacs BSI Internship (Lab2Market Validate) | Nova Scotia, Canada (Remote)

• Validated UAV-based sea-ice monitoring solutions through rigorous market research and customer discovery

• Conducted 60+ stakeholder interviews with ship captains, coast guards, and satellite providers

• Identified critical market gaps: 12-24h data latency, ≥1km spatial resolution, and inaccurate ice classification

• Established fixed-wing long-endurance UAS as optimal platform for sub-meter real-time ice classification

Apr 2023 - Sep 2023

Control Design Engineer

Turkish Aerospace | Islamabad, Pakistan

• Programmatic trimming and linearization of nonlinear models

• Development of longitudinal and lateral flight control design for a fighter jet aircraft

• Autonomous landing system design and safe-landing region prediction

• Software and hardware in loop testing

Jan 2023 - Sep 2023

GNC Engineer (Part Time)

Advanced Rocket Technologies | London, UK (Remote)

• Development of nonlinear 6 DOF flight simulator and control design for a sounding rocket

Aug 2021 - Apr 2023

Assistant Manager

National Engineering & Scientific Commission | Islamabad, Pakistan

• Development of 6 DOF nonlinear flight simulators for different aerospace systems

• Design and development of flight control system for aerial vehicles

• Software in loop testing of controllers in embedded C++ code

• System identification of actuators and dynamical models of aerospace systems

• Technical report writing and documentation of these projects, and testing procedures

Jan 2022 - Oct 2022

Technical Writer

AZoNetwork | Remote

• Writing technical articles on robotics, AI, sensors, and nanotechnology

• Conducting observational studies to improve understanding and content

• Creating customized marketing-aligned content based on client needs

July 2020 - Aug 2020

Intern

National Engineering & Scientific Commission | Islamabad, Pakistan

• Mathematical modeling and development of 6 DOF simulation for a quadrotor

• Implemented various control strategies including loop shaping, PID, LQI, and H-infinity on a quadrotor

• Implementation and flight testing for different control strategies on APM 2.8 autopilot

• Calibration, pre and post flight testing of APM 2.8 based quadrotor

Teaching Experience

Teaching assistant roles across various engineering courses.

Fall 2025

Control Systems I & Computer-Aided Engineering

Teaching Assistant

Conducting tutorials and labs on control systems theory, CAD/CAM processes, and mechanical system simulation.

Spring 2025

Mechatronics II & Instrumentation

Teaching Assistant

Conducted labs and tutorials, covering Quanser Cube-Servo experiments, system identification, control-system design, and amplifier circuits.

Winter 2025

Mechatronics I & Control Systems I

Teaching Assistant

Conducted tutorials on control-system theory, RLC circuit analysis, and amplifier design, and led laboratory sessions on amplifier experiments.

Fall 2024

Computer-Aided Engineering

Teaching Assistant

Conducted labs on mechanical system simulation and modeling, CAM processes, and fundamental image processing and segmentation techniques.

Summer 2024

Control Systems II & Instrumentation

Teaching Assistant

Conducted tutorials on linear algebra and control-system fundamentals, and led labs on amplifier circuits and RPM measurement using a DAQ instrument in LabVIEW.

Winter 2024

Mechatronics I

Teaching Assistant

Conducted labs covering lab instruments, and amplifiers.

Awards & Recognition

Honors and awards received throughout my academic and professional career.

October 2025

ArcticNext Challenge Award

For winning an ideathon related to Arctic problems.

October 2024

Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

Award in recognition of continued academic excellence throughout the program.

November 2024

Ocean Idea Challenge Award

For winning a startup idea challenge focused on solving ocean-related problems.

August 2021

Vice Chancellor's Gold Medal

Awarded for the best final year project for class of 2021.

August 2018

Government Fellowship Award

Awarded a fully funded Government fellowship for Bachelor's degree at IST.

September 2017

Chief Minister's Laptop Award

Awarded for excellent performance in Matriculation examinations.