Richard Desatnik

Richard Desatnik is a Principal AI Algorithms Engineer at Northrop Grumman, specializing in AI research and engineering with a focus on Physical AI and autonomous algorithms for the space domain since November 2025. Concurrently, as a 17A Cyber Operations Officer in the Army National Guard, Richard conducts defensive and offensive cyberspace operations. Previously, Richard was a Doctoral Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, focusing on bioinspired soft robotic systems, and a Student Researcher at The University of Akron, designing biomedical devices. Richard's early career includes various internships in engineering and technology roles, alongside military training in electronics and logistics leadership. Richard holds a PhD and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Military Science from The University of Akron.