About

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Jason received the B.S. degree in computer engineering and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA, in 2018 and 2025, respectively. From 2017 to 2021, he was the project manager and the electrical systems team lead of the AutoDrive Challenge team at Michigan State University. His current research interests include software-defined radios, distributed radar, 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).

Dr. Merlo was a recipient of the 2023 IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship and the 2023 URSI Young Scientist Award. In 2024 he placed second in the Student Paper Competition at the IEEE International Symposium on Phased Array Systems & Technology. He was a Finalist in the Student Paper Competition at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium in 2024 and won First Place in 2023. He was also a Finalist and Honorable Mention in the Student Paper Competition at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation in 2023 and 2024, respectively. 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)