John McDonald
Faculty Research Assistant at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Credentials
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Certified Commercial UAS Pilot
Federal Aviation AdministrationOct, 2020- Nov, 2024
Experience
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University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
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United States
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Higher Education
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100 - 200 Employee
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Faculty Research Assistant
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Apr 2022 - Present
● Responsible for the shift into using photogrammetric software paired with multiple different UAS platforms to map the vegetation health and elevation data from marshes on the Chesapeake Bay ● In Charge of all UAS flights, safety operations, and setup of new VTOL UAS aircraft ● Living shoreline vegetation characterization through multi-spectral UAV imagery ● Responsible for the shift into using photogrammetric software paired with multiple different UAS platforms to map the vegetation health and elevation data from marshes on the Chesapeake Bay ● In Charge of all UAS flights, safety operations, and setup of new VTOL UAS aircraft ● Living shoreline vegetation characterization through multi-spectral UAV imagery
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Shield AI
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United States
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Software Development
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400 - 500 Employee
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Mission Systems Intern
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Jun 2023 - Aug 2023
● Architected a comprehensive path-planning system, encompassing everything from multi-agent teaming dynamics to individual drone maneuvers. ● Architected a comprehensive path-planning system, encompassing everything from multi-agent teaming dynamics to individual drone maneuvers.
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Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
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Defense and Space Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Flight Dynamics Engineering Intern
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Jun 2022 - Aug 2022
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UMD UAS Research and Operations Center
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Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Summer Research Intern
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Jun 2021 - Aug 2021
● Designed, Fabricated and Assembled Pan and Tilt Antenna Tracker for UAS ● Wrote Lua Script to maintain radio link by pointing gimbal, correcting for UAS Maneuvers as well as account for real-time position changes in UAS and Ground Station ● Designed, Fabricated and Assembled Pan and Tilt Antenna Tracker for UAS ● Wrote Lua Script to maintain radio link by pointing gimbal, correcting for UAS Maneuvers as well as account for real-time position changes in UAS and Ground Station
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CoreTechs Consulting Inc.
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United States
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Software Development
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1 - 100 Employee
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Full Stack Software Developer
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Jun 2019 - May 2021
● Custom-built software for handheld XRay machine, including visual tracking and hardware integration ● Built WordPress CMS and database from the ground up with the goal of serving and easily configuring up to 100+ chemistry tutoring domains for colleges across America. ● Wrote numerous scripts including one that books library study rooms everyday ● Go to developer for adding features and fixing bugs in large Python Django REST API that processes E-Visas Globally ● Custom-built software for handheld XRay machine, including visual tracking and hardware integration ● Built WordPress CMS and database from the ground up with the goal of serving and easily configuring up to 100+ chemistry tutoring domains for colleges across America. ● Wrote numerous scripts including one that books library study rooms everyday ● Go to developer for adding features and fixing bugs in large Python Django REST API that processes E-Visas Globally
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University of Maryland
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Undergraduate Researcher
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Oct 2019 - Dec 2020
● Test Pilot for the Autonomous Intelligent Flight Management System (AIFMS) Research Project ● Taught U.S. Army Soldiers about the AIFMS software and oversaw their flying of our aircraft at Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration Experiments-2020 (MSSPIX-20) ● Flew experimental UAS Aircraft at 45+ outings and gave guidance with UAS related issues ● Test Pilot for the Autonomous Intelligent Flight Management System (AIFMS) Research Project ● Taught U.S. Army Soldiers about the AIFMS software and oversaw their flying of our aircraft at Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration Experiments-2020 (MSSPIX-20) ● Flew experimental UAS Aircraft at 45+ outings and gave guidance with UAS related issues
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National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
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United States
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Research Services
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700 & Above Employee
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PREP Software Developer Internship
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Feb 2020 - May 2020
● Developed improved functionality to NIST web application front end using Java Server Pages, Bootstrap, HTML, and CSS ● Connected front end changes with MySQL database using Java to process database information ● Developed improved functionality to NIST web application front end using Java Server Pages, Bootstrap, HTML, and CSS ● Connected front end changes with MySQL database using Java to process database information
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Structural Design and Analysis, Inc
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United States
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Aviation & Aerospace
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1 - 100 Employee
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Summer Engineering Intern
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Jun 2017 - Aug 2018
● Assembled, designed, and built steel robot tug to tow light aircraft around airports ● Repaired 3D printer and installed upgrades. Wrote custom G-code scripts for dual nozzle design ● Programmed 360 degree LIDAR scanner to implement simultaneous localization and mapping software to map entire office ● Assembled, designed, and built steel robot tug to tow light aircraft around airports ● Repaired 3D printer and installed upgrades. Wrote custom G-code scripts for dual nozzle design ● Programmed 360 degree LIDAR scanner to implement simultaneous localization and mapping software to map entire office
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Education
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University of Maryland
Bachelor's degree, Aerospace Engineering -
University of Maryland
Minor, Computer Science -
The Heights School
High School Diploma