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Advancing GPS from undergrad to a PhD

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Benon Gattis

Benon Gattis at an annual Norwegian conference for testing the robustness of global navigation satellite systems, like GPS.

Name: Benon Gattis
Advisor: Dennis Akos
Lab:Radio Frequency & Satellite Navigation LaboratoryÌý
Program: Aerospace PhD Student

Benon Gattis is researching radio frequency jamming and spoofing by military and independent actors to disrupt GPS and other global navigation satellite systems. The research aims to quickly detect and locate the source of such transmissions to mitigate their impacts.

I grew upÌýin Gunnison, aÌýsmall town in western Colorado.ÌýIÌýgrewÌýup biking and skiing in nearby Crested Butte, and ended up developing a passion for these outdoorÌýactivities.Ìý

I knew I wanted to go to college somewhere that would support theseÌýsports while also providing an enriching academic experience. This led me to a fairly short list of schools, of which CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï was the best fit for me.Ìý

I wanted to pursue engineering and development, but I had a hard time deciding between the variousÌýengineeringÌýmajors; electrical, software, and mechanical.Ìý

Aerospace ended up being a combination of all those areas, giving me exposure to all of them in my undergraduate at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï. This also allowed me to then pursue the focus area I liked most for my masters. One of the selling points of an undergraduate at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï for me was the ability to get a BS and MS in 5 years with the Bachelor's Accelerated Masters (BAM) program.

In my undergrad IÌýparticipatedÌýin the DLA program, aÌýprogramÌýdesigned to give undergraduates experience working in various labs around CU. MyÌýinternshipÌýwas in Dennis Akos’s lab studying GPS interference and jamming.Ìý

I didn't originally plan on staying for PhD, but I really enjoyed the research and lab and wanted to keep going.

One of my highlights of my time at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï is that I now get to mentor people in this same DLA program that I was once a part of. I am now in my third year of my PhD,ÌýafterÌýfinishing my BS and MS.

Through my time at CU and in °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï I have come to appreciate both the city and the school. °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï has allowed my outdoor passions to thrive and has an amazing athletic community. I think that is my favorite part about CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, is that the school and town together create anÌýamazingÌýand supportiveÌýenvironmentÌýto get a graduate degree.