Shane D. Ross is an assistant professor at Virginia Tech in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Although he found math difficult until his early 20s when it finally "clicked," he's had an interest in space missions and astronomy since childhood. In 2004, Ross earned a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in control and dynamical systems, a broad mathematical field which allows him to study a wide variety of problems in the engineering and natural sciences. He lives with his wife, son, and small dog in the lush mountains of Virginia.