WORK EXPERIENCE

05/09-08/09            Business and Market Analyst, ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space BV.,

                        Delft, The Netherlands           

Investigated the emerging nanosatellite market to evaluate current and potential business opportunities for ISIS in application development and launch services; Responsible for development and maintenance of a portal of promotional materials in print and online

07/06-07/07            Product Engineering, Magna International – Magna Closures Ltd. division,

                        Concord, Canada           

Responsible for benchmarking competing power systems products and drafting reference documents for international divisions and suppliers in order to improve products and services; Investigated critical issues from product design through production and collaborated with engineers to verify system warranty issues through in-house testing and design of fixtures in order to ensure customer quality standards were met

06/05-08/05            Lead Mechanical Engineer Assistant, Bantrel Inc., Calgary, Canada

Performed project management responsibilities including quality check procedures, budget allocation and man-hour estimates to ensure project was rolled out efficiently; Administered equipment lists including pumps, flare stacks, and tanks and observed design of HVAC systems for a refinery conversion project; Collaborated with senior engineers to extract design information from datasheets, process flow and instrumentation diagrams to understand scope of project

RECENT Projects

07/09-Present International Space Station Educational Experiment (Iris), International Space      

                        University, Barcelona, Spain & Strasbourg, France           

Supported Iris Experiment Operations (Iris-Ex-Ops) via NASA Ames Research Center for astronaut crew on Expedition 20/21 of the International Space Station; Developed mission documentation and timelines for experiment designed to investigate the impact of zero-gravity conditions on human perception; Organized data collection for analysis and comparison to astronaut data from experiment on-orbit, and as flight subject on European Space Agency (ESA) 50th Parabolic Flight Campaign for zero-g simulation; Assisted Canadian Space Agency (CSA) education and outreach team efforts

09/07-12/07              Lunar Vehicle Design, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada           

Conducted multi-disciplinary technical design of a lunar exploration vehicle from RFP issue to preliminary design review with a 6-member team; Led the development of the mechanical sub-system through research and analysis of lunar terrain and the subsequent impact of multiple design considerations; Presented final report and design to space industry professionals at MDA Space Missions as part of Space Systems Design course

EDUCATION

2008-2009            Masters of Science, M.Sc., International Space University (ISU)

Space Management Specialization – Strasbourg, France

Space Studies Certificate – Barcelona, Spain

European Space Agency (ESA) Scholarship – € 25,000

2003-2008            Bachelor of Applied Science, B.A.Sc., University of Toronto (U of T)

Mechanical Engineering – Mechatronics and Solid Mechanics streams

Valedictorian – Class of 2008

AWARDS & Credentials

In Progress            Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) – Project Management Institute

2008 & 2009             Canadian Space Agency Sponsored Student – International Astronautical Congress

2008                        Finalist – Design Competition – Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineers (CSME)

2007                        Advanced Machining Certification Course – George Brown College

2006                                    Gold, Silver, Bronze – Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

2009 Merali T., Demel M., Steinberg M., Thirsk R., Clement G., “Space Station Education” 2009 Canadian Space Summit, Kingston, Canada

2009 Merali, T. “Space & Television: Is There A Reason?"

IAC-09.E5.2.5. 60th International Astronautical Congress. Daejeon, Republic of Korea

2009 Merali, T. “Market Analysis of Nanosatellite Technologies and Services”

ISIS Innovative Solutions In Space BV, The Netherlands

2009 Merali, T. “Space and Television: Is there a reason?” Academic Study.

International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC). Isle of Man

2008 Lopez Urdiales, J.M., et al.  “Spaceports:  The necessary infrastructure

for private spaceflight."  

IAC-08.D2.2.8 59th International Astronautical Congress. Glasgow, Scotland

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT & MEMBERSHIPS

2007-Present            Foundation for International Space Education (Houston, USA) – Ex-Officio Director

2005-Present            International Space School Alumni Association, Inc. – Executive Director           

2007-2008            Mars Society Flashline Arctic Research Station – LDM-XI Mission Support

2005-2008            U of T Astronomy and Space Exploration Society – President and Executive

Ontario Society of Professional Engineers; The Planetary Society; Canadian Space Society

SKILLS

            Organized with a strong work ethic and diverse international work experience

Proficient with Microsoft Office, Project, Visio and Adobe software, working knowledge of CAD, FEA, PRICE-H, and STK software

Trained in project management systems, measurement system analysis, geometric dimension & tolerance (GD&T) assurance, advanced machining and tooling

Languages: English – Fluent, French – Conversational, Spanish – Conversational

Hobbies & Interests

Public speaking, astronomy, squash and traveling