Faculty and Staff
Ronald A. Fevig, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Space Studies
University of North Dakota
B.A. 1992, Mathematics, North Dakota State University
M.S. 1994, Space Studies, University of North Dakota
M.S. 1996, Mathematics, University of North Dakota
Ph.D. 2006, Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona
Dr. Fevig was born in Baudette, Minnesota and grew
up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He possesses both a Bachelors degree (North Dakota
State University, 1992) and Masters degree (University of North Dakota, 1996) in
Mathematics. He also earned a Masters degree (University of North Dakota, 1994)
in Space Studies. Dr. Fevig completed his formal education with a Ph.D. in Planetary
Sciences from the University of Arizona in December, 2006. His dissertation research
focused on near-Earth asteroid spectroscopy. While working on his doctoral degree
he was heavily involved in extra-curricular activities associated with the University
of Arizona’s CubeSat nanosatellite program and high-altitude balloon teams. As the
CubeSat Ground Station Coordinator, he specified hardware and software requirements,
supervised the construction of the ground station, and worked closely with satellite
hardware and software developers. He also supervised numerous undergraduate engineering
and science students and acted as the Assistant to the CubeSat Program Manager.
While pursuing his Ph.D. he also helped mentor two senior engineering design teams
that developed payloads for high-altitude balloons.
During the 2007-2008 Academic Year Dr. Fevig was employed
as a postdoctoral research associate in the Electrical Engineering Department at
the University of North Dakota, conducting research involving digital image processing
of video frames acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles. He was also an adjunct instructor
in Space Studies, teaching SpSt 500 - Introduction to Orbital Mechanics. Dr. Fevig
joined the Space Studies faculty as an assistant professor beginning the Fall Semester,
2008.
Since the Fall 2007 semester, Dr. Fevig has been serving
as the faculty advisor for a student high-altitude balloon team at the University
of North Dakota which designed and flew an ozone sensor payload on a NASA zero-pressure
balloon in September, 2008. He continues to develop student-oriented research programs
that involve spacecraft engineering at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Fevig
is currently co-mentoring a student team that is developing an image-mosaicing payload
that will be designed to fly onboard various platforms, including unmanned aerial
vehicles, high-altitude balloons, and satellites. He is also the lead faculty advisor
for a student team that is building a gas and particle sensing payload that will
likely fly on a NASA sounding rocket in June, 2009. Dr. Fevig’s close ties to members
of the UND School of Engineering and Mines and the College of Arts & Sciences will
allow him to further develop inter-departmental relationships and collaborative
efforts within the University of North Dakota.
