GatorKits Lab Personnel
Matthew J. Traum, Ph.D.
Principle Investigator
Dr. Matthew J. Traum is an experienced educator, administrator, fund raiser, entrepreneur, and researcher serving UF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as an instructional faculty member. Dr. Traum’s expertise includes teaching and assessing online and hybrid engineering lab courses. Previously, Dr. Traum was founder and CEO of Engineer Inc., an educational technology social enterprise that produced educational lab kits and supporting curricula.
Alexander D. Lacerna
M.S. Student Researcher
Alexander D. Lacerna (B.S. ME, Minor EE, Spring 2022) is a current M.S. student in Mechanical Engineering. He appreciates the integration of mechanical design with circuitry and software to form fully functioning prototypes, and is utilizing this skillset in the development of an interactive lab kit currently deployed in the undergraduate course EGS1006, Introduction to Engineering. Alex enjoys playing the classy classics, those being chess, pool, and poker, as well as staying physically active through tennis.
Nikolai Abraimov
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Nikolai is a junior mechanical and aerospace major undergraduate student. He is involved with the E-Fest side of the Student Design Competition, being E-Fest Captain for this year’s event. In the lab, he is the lead of the Benchtop Tensile Tester project that aims to make an affordable and multifunctional machine for demonstration and student use in classes like Mechanics of Materials Lab and Mechanical Design 2. His interests include modeling and simulation, design and manufacture, and nanomechanics.
Austin Leo Thomas
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Austin Leo Thomas is a third-year undergraduate Aerospace Engineering student with aspirations to work in the fields of spacecraft design and aeronautical research-and-development. He is currently involved in the assembly and distribution of the EGS1006 Introduction to Engineering remote lab kits, with hopes of one day developing a similar lab targeted towards aerospace engineering specifically. Outside of academic work, Austin enjoys playing intramural soccer, drawing, and, when time and weather permit, camping at Ginnie Springs.