Director, Coastal Observing Research and Development Center, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California San Diego
Dr. Terrill is an oceanographer with 25 years of experience leading basic and applied research programs around the globe. In 2003, he established a R&D Center within the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps to rapidly field new technologies and conduct exploratory and expeditionary research. Scripps Marine Physical Laboratory is one of the four original Navy-University Applied Research Laboratories established in World War II. Staffed by engineers, data analysts, and ocean scientists, Dr. Terrill’s Center serves as an interface between the research enterprise; technology development; and operational applications of science and technology. In addition, Dr. Terrill has extensive experience working with industry to develop, improve, and evaluate new ocean technologies and unmanned platforms. Dr. Terrill has a B.S. (magna cum laude) degree in Applied Mechanics and Engineering sciences from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography-Applied Ocean Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography funded by DOD fellowships. Early in his career he was selected to receive a 3 year ONR Young Investigator Fellowship to recognize his naval-relevant research. In addition, Dr. Terrill has served on transition and government review teams for the Navy, Federal Advisory committees for NOAA; and, has twice provided congressional testimony on matters associated with emerging ocean technologies for maritime domain awareness. He is co-founder of Project Recover , a private-public collaborative which conducts global searches using unmanned underwater vehicles and pre-mission historical analysis to locate WWII-era aircraft crash sites for reporting to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He is an avid diver with 32 years of diving experience.
Underwater Archaeologist
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Andrew Pietruszka is an underwater archaeologist specializing in the search, documentation, and recovery of U.S. service members missing in action as a result of our nation’s past conflicts. He received an M.A. in Underwater Archaeology/Maritime Studies from East Carolina University and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Syracuse University. He has over 15 years of experience conducting underwater archaeological research around the world.
In March 2011, Dr. Pietruszka joined the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency as a forensic archaeologist overseeing underwater recovery operations. In 2015 he served as the interim director of DPAA’s laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha Nebraska. While at DPAA, Dr. Pietruszka successfully completed four months of training at the U.S. Navy’s Special Operations Dive School in both SCUBA and surface supplied diving. In 2016 he left public service to take an academic research position at the University of Delaware where he served as the forensic/archaeological expert for Project Recover —a collaborative effort to enlist twenty-first-century science and technology in a quest to find the final underwater resting places of Americans missing in action since World War II. Currently, Dr. Pietruszka, is an underwater archaeologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography – University of California San Diego and serves as the lead archaeologist for Project Recover .
Director, School of Marine Science and Policy
College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment
University of Delaware
Dr. Mark Moline serves as the Director, School of Marine Science and Policy at the University of Delaware and co-founder of Project Recover . Dr. Moline received his BA from St. Olaf College and PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Moline was an early adopter of UUVs for research, with 20+ years’ experience and over 900 deployments/recoveries around the globe. Dr. Moline has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles on topics including biology, optics, imagery, modeling, underwater robotics, and autonomy. He has received a number of prestigious awards including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, NASA New Investigator Program award, and served as the Distinguished Arctic Fulbright Chair. He is co-founder of Project Recover —a collaborative effort to enlist twenty-first-century science and technology in a quest to find the final underwater resting places of Americans missing in action since World War II.
GIS Analyst, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Heidi Batchelor earned MA in Geography from San Diego State University specializing in Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing of the marine environment. When not traveling for scuba diving, she teaches classes in GIS at SIO and online. She is an experienced data analyst having worked with a wide variety of oceanographic data including side scan sonar, sub bottom profilers, vessel and AUV-based multibeam, and acoustic arrays. At SIO she manages data repositories and databases for marine data and maintains web content.
Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Delaware
Project Scientist for Project Recover at the University of Delaware, Matt Breece has a Ph.D. from UD in Oceanography and a master’s degree from Delaware State University in Natural Resources. Prior to this position Matt used autonomous under water vehicles and remote sensing to estimate and forecast Atlantic Sturgeon habitat in real time to reduce bycatch and industrial impacts. Matt is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking. As a Project Scientist for this mission, Matt is interested in oceanographic properties that may affect the degradation of aircraft and vessels that have been on the seafloor since the second World War.
Lead Historian
Project Recover and The BentProp Project
Colin is a historian of War and Society and specializes in the historical process that attends the search, recovery, and repatriation of Americans missing in action as a result of our nation’s past conflicts. Colin received his M.A. in War and Society in 2009 and is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi. In May 2013, Colin joined the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Command (DPAA) at Offutt AFB, Nebraska as a Historian and ORISE Fellow. At DPAA, Colin was part of a historical research team that worked alongside forensic anthropologists and odontologists to identify missing personnel from the Second World War. In 2015, Colin served as a Historian and Associate Editor with Rowan Technology, a publishing partner of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. At Rowan, Colin helped build and manage West Point’s fully digital and interactive publication, The West Point History of Warfare, the text used by all cadets in the History of the Military Art course.
As Lead Historian for Project Recover and The BentProp Project, Colin is tasked with coordinating historical operations including archival research, data management, case analysis, and field investigations. For historical research, Colin coordinates historians and volunteers at archives and museums around the world. Through these efforts, Project Recover has developed a massive internal archive comprised of thousands of historical reports, maps, and images. In the field, Colin liaises with local partner organizations on cases and conducts oral histories with locals who may have witnessed a fallen soldiers’ final moments.
Doctoral Candidate
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Eric is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Ocean Sciences whose research focuses on unmanned underwater vehicle autonomy, sensors, and acoustic communications. As part of his thesis work, he is developing a magnetic sensor system for finding and mapping undersea debris fields that saw extensive use in Papua New Guinea in 2017. Eric also accompanied the SIO research team to Palau in 2015 and 2016 and served as chief scientist for two expeditions near San Diego.
Engineer
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Bob attended Dickinson College and Southern New Hampshire University where he earned degrees in Electrical Engineering and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Bob is a seasoned underwater robotics engineer, his career includes time at WHOI, Rutgers, Hydroid, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. A former college football player and college baseball player, Bob remains an avid sports fan and is a Little League coach.
Marine Technician
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Mike has a degree in Environmental Studies and Planning from Sonoma State University. His love of the ocean manifests in surfing and making surfboards in his spare time. He has experience conducting marine surveys, driving boats, scientific diving and managing preparations for field work. As part of the SIO team, Mike also maintains gear and equipment including boats and diving gear. He specializes in deployments from small boats and has extensive experience in field work at-sea.
Programmer
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Brian Kim is a programmer with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at his alma mater, University of California, San Diego. He provides researchers at Scripps with sensor data management and delivery. This includes integration with third-party software and networked systems. In addition to sensor data management, Brian has also built the web software for Project Recover . The software aids in the planning of expeditionary missions of Project Recover by creating a visual layout of MIA cases as well as facilitating the query of cases based on specific categories and/or data. Prior to joining Scripps, he developed web software for small businesses and a range scheduling software for the Navy.
Diatom Studios
Kyle McBurnie is a filmmaker, expedition leader, and entrepreneur. With a body of work that spans from the California kelp forests to the Peruvian Amazon, Kyle has shot for the BBC, Discovery Channel, Passion Pictures and others. His underwater photography has been published in National Geographic Magazine and he is a National Geographic Explorer. Kyle is also a co-owner of SD Expeditions, an ocean company specializing in cage-less shark diving and wildlife experiences.
Engineer
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Andy received his degrees in Geophysics and Engineering from Brown University. He was a member of the Peace Corps in Paraguay where he taught high school and led a project designing brick ovens for the local community. As part of the Engineering team, Andy works on all aspects of AUVs, from design modifications, component installation and maintenance, and field operations. He has experience working with side scan sonar, multibeam sonar, scientific diving, and has spent extensive time in the field.
Senior Research Engineer
University of Delaware
Mr. Erik White is a Project Engineer for the University of Delaware focusing on AUV operations and support. He fell in love with the sea during his 9 years in the U.S. Navy. Erik worked as a Search and Rescue Swimmer and Electronic Warfare Technician. Following his shipboard duties, he went to the Naval War College where he became part of the War Gaming department responsible for training Commanding Officers in the use of modeling and simulation assets for classified war games.
Following his service with the Navy Erik began work in field service and engineering for AUVs. For over 10 years with Remus AUV’s, he’s worked with Naval Special Operations Groups around the world where he trained and conducted operations running MCM (Mine Countermeasure) specific AUV operations in various areas. The past 3 years he supported and operated Teledyne Gavia AUV’s, SeaBotix ROV’s, Z-Boat USV’s.
