Travis Sippel

Travis Sippel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He previously held positions as an Assistant and Associate Professor at Iowa State University. His research focuses on energetic materials, including their synthesis, fabrication, and combustion, with an emphasis on developing 'smart' materials using microwave electromagnetic fields to enhance safety and utility. His work is funded by the DoD and DOE laboratories, and he has received Young Investigator Awards from AFOSR and DTRA.

Education: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (University of Kansas, 2007), M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Purdue University, 2009 and 2013).

Research interests include microwave-enhanced combustion processes, nanoscale material synthesis, and advanced manufacturing techniques for energetic materials. His lab explores applications such as controllable propellant ignition, thermite reaction dynamics, and plasma-enhanced burning rates.

Key achievements include innovations in porous propellant design, microwave-responsive binders, and additive manufacturing of energetic materials. His recent work emphasizes real-time control of energy output via electromagnetic fields.

Awards and grants: AFOSR and DTRA Young Investigator Awards, funding from DoD/DoE laboratories.

Labs: Energetic Materials Combustion Lab, focusing on experimental and computational studies of energetic material systems.