Michael (Mick) West joined ECE from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in 2022. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Hawaii (UH) in 2006 and has over 28 years of professional experience with over 40 refereed journals and conference papers.
West specializes in the development unmanned systems in extreme environments (under-ice, planetary, deep ocean, polar). He has been an invited speaker for United States Congressional leaders and their staff and top military personnel in the development of roadmaps for advancing current robotics research. He has served as PI on several Unmanned Systems programs developing novel enabling technologies including advanced control and power systems on underwater, ground, air and space platforms. West developed the first-of-its-kind under-ice vehicle, Icefin, in order to gather information about the changing polar ice and provide insight into areas of climate science, as well as biology and planetary science. The vehicle has been deployed over five seasons through the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and provided never before seen images and scientific data of the Antarctic seafloor.
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Hawaii, 2006
Professor West’s research interests center on the physics and materials science of semiconductor devices. His work explores the electronic properties of novel materials and devices, with an emphasis on improving device performance and understanding fundamental mechanisms. The research includes investigations into advanced semiconductor electronic materials and the development of devices that leverage unique physical phenomena to address challenges in electronic engineering.
Professor West’s teaching interests emphasize core electrical and computer engineering principles at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He focuses on courses related to electronics, semiconductor devices, and solid-state physics, aiming to provide students with a strong foundation in the principles governing electronic materials and devices. His instruction integrates theoretical concepts with practical applications, fostering a comprehensive understanding of device behavior and electronic system design.
- M.J. West et al., Evolution of Cluster Alignments…, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2025.
- M. Einasto et al., Richest clusters in the Coma and Leo superclusters…, arXiv:2510.19803, 2025.
- S. John, M.J. West, M. Truffer, Insights from two decades of seismicity…, 2025.
- S. John, M.J. West, Storms, Sea Ice, and Microseismic Noise in Alaska, 2025.
- A.V. Мосенков et al., HERON III…, MNRAS, 2023.