Dr. Charles Swenson

Charles Swenson is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Utah State University. He teaches graduate level courses in the area of space engineering and space science and undergraduate courses in analog circuits. His research activities are split between space science, instrumentation for measuring the space environment, space systems engineering and small satellites. He has been the principal investigator for instrumentation on multiple NASA sounding rocket missions and is the principal instrument scientist for the Floating Potential Measurement Unit for the International Space Station. He is the principal investigator and academic adviser for the Utah State University Student Small Satellite Program. His active research programs include data analysis of NASA TIMED Spacecraft, a sounding rocket mission to understand the connection between storms in the ionosphere and large terrestrial storm systems, the USUSat program and the development of new instrumentation for understanding space weather. Dr. Swenson’s research activities are often in association with Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Lab. He attended Utah State University where he graduated with a double major in Electrical Engineering and Physics and earned a Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University in Electrical Engineering in January of 1992 and joined the faculty at Utah State University that same year. He is currently the Director of the Space Instrumentation Laboratory and the Center for Space Engineering at Utah State University. He has received awards for teaching and research excellence, directs over $1 million/year in basic research and development and has over 50 scientific publications.