Our Team
MATT JEWELL
CTO
Matt advocates for and put into practice size optimized ocean sensors and deployment systems. Playing both technologist, and design engineer rolls Matt pushes towards paradigm shifting technologies while doing the fundamental design work that this will be built on. Projects include development of deep submergence LED and camera lines, establishment of a modular suit of Ocean Sensors, and napkin to finished product development of an ultra high-speed ROV / Buoy Pair and an Unmanned ROV tender / ROV pair for clients including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Yale, Harvard, the University of Rhode Island, PacMar, and the J.F. White Contracting Company.
Matt's background includes lead engineering and project management rolls at Engineered Syntactic Systems (where he oversaw the BOEING Orca program), The Ocean Exploration Trust, LBI Fiberglass, and Ultralon Foam USA.
Matt is passionate about Blue Tech. He is also an avid pilot of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles, a trained oil painter, and a dedicated father.
DR. BRENNAN PHILLIPS
SCIENCE ADVISOR
Brennan specializes in the development and application of novel instrumentation for oceanographic research. His current research topics include fiber optic distributed sensing, rapid prototyping for deep-sea robotics, and fiber optic microtethers. Dr. Phillips is a National Geographic Explorer and has participated in and/or lead many oceanographic research expeditions around the world. Dr. Phillips is an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Ocean Engineering and Joint Faculty in the Graduate School of Oceanography at URI, and is Adjunct Faculty in Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences/Arizona State University’s School of Ocean Futures. He received his BS in Ocean Engineering (’04) from URI, an MS in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut (’07), and a PhD in Oceanography from URI/GSO (’16). Prior to joining the faculty at URI, Dr. Phillips served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory and was the lead ROV engineer/pilot for Dr. Robert Ballard. He is a passionate teacher and enjoys surfing, fishing, running, and spending time with his family.
JASON NOEL
ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Jason is a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island, studying in the Undersea Robotics and Imaging Laboratory (URIL) advised by Dr. Brennan Phillips. His research and specialization focus on small-scale, deep-sea technologies, all of which are deployable from fiber optic microtethers. Jason is also the lead Patents2Products fellow in 401 Tech Bridge’s RISE-UP program, overseeing other fellows and planning curriculum as well as congruently exploring the process of commercializing microtether management systems in conjuncture with his research. Jason has his BS in Ocean Engineering (’22) from URI with a minor in Oceanography. In his time at URI he has been on multiple long-term research cruises around the world and has performed a large amount of small boat operations.Outside of his professional world, he finds time relaxing with family, fishing, printmaking/painting, woodworking, and cooking meals for friends.