About

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Jason received the B.S. degree in computer engineering from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA in 2018, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering. From 2017-2021 he was project manager and electrical systems team lead of the Michigan State University AutoDrive Challenge team. His current research interests include software-defined radios, distributed radar and wireless system synchronization, interferometric arrays, synthetic aperture radar, joint radar-communications, and automotive radar applications. He currently maintains several Python/C++ software packages as part of the DELTA Framework used in-house for software-defined radio, radar, and distributed array coordination simulation and real-time signal processing (public components of the software can be accessed at gitlab.msu.edu/delta/da-framework).

Jason was a Finalist in the Student Paper Competition at the IEEE International Microwave symposium in 2024 and won First Place in 2023; he won second place in the Student Paper Competition at the International Symposium on Phased Array Systems & Technology in 2024; and he was a Finalist and Honorable Mention in the Student Paper Competition at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation in 2024 and 2023. He was the recipient of a 2023 IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship and a 2023 URSI Young Scientist Award. He won Second Place in the Student Design Competition at the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and was a finalist in the Student Safety Technology Design Competition at the 2017 International Technical Conference on Enhanced Safety of Vehicles.

Awards and Honors

  • IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship Recipient (2023–2024)
  • Young Scientist Awardee, URSI General Assembly, Sapporro Japan (Aug. 2023)

Publication Awards

  • 2nd Place, Student Paper Competition, J. M. Merlo, N. Shandi, M. Dula, A. Bhattacharyya, and J. A. Nanzer, 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Phased Array Systems & Technology (2024) [Paper] [Poster]
  • Finalist, Student Paper Competition, J. M. Merlo, J. A. Nanzer, IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (2024) [Paper] [Poster]
  • Top Papers of IMS 2024, J. M. Merlo, Samuel Wagner, John Lancaster, J. A. Nanzer, IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) (2024) [Paper]
  • Finalist, Student Paper Competition, J. M. Merlo, Samuel Wagner, John Lancaster, J. A. Nanzer, IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) (2024) [Paper]
  • Honorable Mention, Student Paper Competition, J. M. Merlo, J. A. Nanzer, IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (2023) [Paper]
  • 1st Place, Student Paper Competition, J. M. Merlo, A. Schlegel, J. A. Nanzer, IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) (2023) [Paper]

Design Competition Awards

  • 2nd Place, Student Design Competition, J. M. Merlo, S. Vakalis, C. Hilton, J. Randall, IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (July 2020) [Paper]
  • Finalist, NHTSA Student Safety Technology Design Compettion, J. M. Merlo, K. Lammers, R. Ashbaugh, A. Winarski, International Technical Conference on Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (July 2017)