Dane Sabo

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.

CV