# Dane Sabo - CV
Author: Dane Sabo

# CV

# Dane Sabo

📍 Greater Pittsburgh Area ✉️ yourstruly@danesabo.com 🔗 danesabo.com LinkedIn GitHub
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## Education

Ph.D. — Mechanical Engineering Aug 2023 – Present
NRC Fellow, University of Pittsburgh

- GPA: 3.896/4.0 (Unofficial Transcript)
- Coursework: High-Assurance Cyber-Physical Systems, Linear and Digital Control Systems, Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Advanced Dynamics
- Nuclear Engineering Certificate: Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering, Integration of Nuclear Plant Systems, Nuclear Core Dynamics, Radiation Detection & Measurement, Management Principles for Nuclear Power

B.S. — Mechanical Engineering Aug 2019 – Aug 2023
University of Pittsburgh

- GPA: 3.433, Dean's Honor List throughout
- Coursework: Linear Algebra for Machine Learning (Graduate), Mechatronics

## Awards & Honors

Best Student Paper Award 2025
NPIC&HMIT 2025

- Awarded for "Employing a Hardware-in-the-Loop Approach to Realize a Fully Homomorphic Encrypted Controller for a Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor"

Student Representative, MEMS Department Chair Search Committee 2025

- Selected as student representative on the search committee for the next Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Pittsburgh

NRC Graduate Fellowship 2023 – Present
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

- Competitive fellowship supporting graduate research in nuclear engineering and related fields

## Publications & Presentations

### First Author

Analysis of Vortex Generating Fences on a Formula Student Multi-Element Rear Wing 2023
Published in Ingenium – Undergraduate Research at the Swanson School of Engineering, Pages 106–111

### Major Contributor

Employing a Hardware-in-the-Loop Approach to Realize a Fully Homomorphic Encrypted Controller for a Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor 2025
NPIC&HMIT 2025, Conference Paper (Second Author)
🏆 Best Student Paper Award
Demonstration of Advanced Encryption for an Instrumentation and Control System using ARCADE 2024
TRTR 2024 Annual Meeting, Presentation

## Skills

Programming C/C++ (embedded), LaTeX, MATLAB, Python (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, SymPy), Rust Engineering ANSYS Simulation Suite, FDM printing, Fusion 360, Soldering, SolidWorks Business Customer discovery, Team management, Office Suite Other Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Blender

## Professional Experience

Graduate Student Researcher Aug 2023 – Present
Instrumentation and Controls Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh — Advisor: Dr. Daniel G. Cole

- Developing formal verification methods for autonomous hybrid control systems with application to nuclear reactor startup sequences and safety-critical cyber-physical systems
- Collaborating with Idaho National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory on hardware-in-the-loop control system validation and encrypted controller implementations for advanced reactor designs
- Conducting research on virtualized networks to simulate control systems with genuine network traffic for nuanced analysis of system dynamics

Independent Contractor (Mechanical Engineer) Dec 2022 – Jun 2023
Human Motion Technologies LLC — Remote / Pittsburgh, PA

- Hip Exoskeleton EXO-004: Provided expertise in composites and manufacturing for carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) parts, adopting resin infusion as a standard practice.
- Prosthetics Foot Testing TES-001A02: Developed a testing fixture for prosthetic feet, evaluating products for fatigue and ultimate strength failure per ISO-10328 standards, designed for up to 5700 N and two million cycles.

Summer Undergraduate Research Intern Jun 2022 – Aug 2022
University of Pittsburgh

- Analyzed the effects of corotating and counterrotating pairs of vortex-generating fences, focusing on separation prevention at various yaw angles and speeds.

Mechanical Engineering Co-op Jan 2021 – Apr 2021, Aug – Dec 2021
BMW Manufacturing — Spartanburg, SC

- Pruefcubing: Evaluated buildability and geometric validity of supplier parts for BMW XM performance SUV, supporting metrology processes.
- Quality Steering: Monitored development series buildability on manufacturing lines and audited prototype vehicles (X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, XM). Developed data management tools to enhance workflows and database accessibility.

## Teaching Experience

Technical Director / Aerodynamics Lead 2020 – 2022
Panther Racing (Formula SAE) — University of Pittsburgh

- Led a team of 30+ engineers and managed a six-figure budget for researching and producing an open-wheel-style racecar.
- Rehabilitated team culture and mentored younger members to develop engineering and communication skills.
- Engineered and designed the aerodynamic package and demonstrated expertise in carbon fiber composites manufacturing, including vacuum-bagging, wet lay-up, and mold preparation.
- Delivered a final car that completed all events at FSAE Michigan without failures, improving team performance from 37th/40 (45.4 pts) to 32nd/99 (462.6 pts).

Content Developer & Teaching Assistant Aug 2022 – Dec 2022
MEMS 0071 "Intro to Fluid Mechanics" — University of Pittsburgh

- Developed curriculum incorporating fundamental CFD concepts, with a focus on postprocessing, simulation, and meshing for hydrostatic and hydrodynamic problems.
- Conducted weekly office hours to assist students in understanding course material.

## Projects

King's Eunuch — Poker Engine (Rust) 2025 – Present

- Developing a type-safe poker library in Rust with near-zero dependencies as a language learning project.
- Implemented custom types for cards and hands with ordering traits, and complete hand detection and evaluation logic.
- Building toward game state simulation and eventual use as a poker training aid.

1986 Nissan 300ZX — LS V8 Engine Swap 2021 – Present

- Performing a 5.3L LS swap using a junkyard-sourced 2008 Avalanche engine, pulled and disassembled personally.
- Completed engine teardown, cleaning, rear main seal, flywheel torque, and timing chain assembly.
- Sourced transmission, ECU, sensors, and engine mounts. Stripped factory engine bay to prepare for installation.

Last updated March 2026