SpaceVision 26

David Staack, Ph.D. is Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at The Texas A&M University System; a system of 12 universities and 8 state agencies with externally funded research expenditures of $1.5 billion annually. In his administrative role Dr. Staack supports multi-university and multi-agency research initiatives, intellectual property and commercialization, institutional infrastructure projects, research compliance and business practices, economic development and industry partnerships across the A&M System. Dr. Staack leads commercial energy and nuclear collaborations for the A&M System.

Prior to this role, Dr. Staack served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Interim Director of the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute. In that capacity, he led the establishment of the institute, including the planning of new facilities, research programs, and workforce development initiatives, all made possible by the appropriation of $226 million to the institute through the Texas CHIPS Act. Previously, in other administrative roles, Dr. Staack served for five years as the College of Engineering Director of Undergraduate Laboratory Instruction, where he led the design and implementation of 135,000 ft² of new common laboratory and makerspace infrastructure, benefiting over 12,000 students in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex. He has also served on the Faculty Senate and as Chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee.

Dr. Staack is also currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, plasma engineering, and experimental design. Dr. Staack leads an active research program as the principal investigator at the Plasma Engineering and Non-Equilibrium Processing Research Laboratory, where his group investigates various plasma discharge and electron beam phenomena and their applications. His research spans diverse fields, including energy transition technologies, medical device and sensor development, hypersonic and spacecraft propulsion, environmental remediation, oil and gas reforming, carbon nanomaterials, biofuels, drilling technologies, semiconductor processing, advanced manufacturing, and high-speed optical, laser, and x-ray sources and diagnostics. His work includes both fundamental research and industry translation, with over 100 archival publications and more than 70 patent publications.

David Staack has been a faculty member at Texas A&M University since 2009. He joined Texas A&M after receiving his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University, working for four years at Princeton University’s Department of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and completing his M.S. and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2000.