Rahul Amin

What made you decide to pursue a career here?

I was always interested in a research-oriented career but wasn’t interested in becoming a full-time professor. I value transitioning theoretical concepts to practice and sought a career where I could utilize my analytical skills to build communication systems that make a difference in today's world.

While pursing my PhD in wireless communications at Clemson University, I was on the lookout for workplaces with a good mix of research and prototyping opportunities in my field. My wireless research group had close ties with Lab recruiters who were former students of the same professors I was working with for my PhD dissertation. By interacting with these recruiters, I realized that the Lab provided the perfect setting for what I want in a work environment — a place that addresses significant national problems, analyzes these problems to recommend potential solutions, and prototypes some of these solutions and transitions them to sponsors for operational deployment.

What does your research entail?

My research focuses on developing network architectures for the tactical edge and satellite communications systems, and prototyping network architecture components — mainly at the link, network, and transport layers of the OSI [Open Systems Interconnection] network stack.  

When I first started at the Lab, I analyzed the performance of a line-of-sight waveform for airborne networks and developed a multicast routing protocol for the airborne environment. Next, I prototyped the network routing subsystem for a communication pod to enable aircraft at the tactical edge to replace or augment a satellite communications network. Then, I helped the Army define a system-of-systems reference architecture for their tactical network, in support of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) vision.

More recently, I’ve been leading a JADC2 effort that is developing a joint network architecture and demonstrating IP routing and content distribution components within this architecture to enable joint operations across the Air Force, Army, and Navy. I’m also leading a space networking effort for which my team produced a reference architecture document defining components of the Space Data Network, an enterprise-wide space network leveraging commercial and DoD space systems. To realize this architecture, we are prototyping network orchestration components based on software-defined networking principles and helping the Space Force procure these components to instantiate the first version of the network.

Are you involved in any activities within the Laboratory community?

I served as a board member on the New Technologies Initiative, now the Technology Transfer Initiative, for three years. This experience was eye-opening, as I not only learned about the Lab’s other technical areas but also evaluated proposals and helped fund prototyping activities of high impact to national security. As a member of the Lab’s recruiting team for Clemson University, I attend the Clemson Career Fair once every two years and work with professors to attract top electrical/computer engineering and computer science students to the Lab.

Where have you traveled, and where would you like to travel?

My wife and I are avid travelers. We have traveled to 41 of the 50 U.S. states and four continents (North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia), with plans to visit them all. We have been to the following countries so far: Canada, Mexico, Aruba, Bonaire, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Iceland, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Croatia, Montenegro, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, India, Maldives, Taiwan, and Australia. In 2025, we will cover our fifth continent, Africa, on a trip to Morocco.

Where are you from?

Growing up, I was quite the nomad. I spent my childhood in India. Then, I moved with my family to South Carolina, where I went to high school and college. During undergrad, I lived in Huntsville, Alabama, for a year while I worked as a co-op for a networking company. My family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, when I started my master’s degree. After completing my PhD, I moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, to work at the Lab. After getting married in 2019, my wife and I bought a house in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy watching and playing sports, and staying active. I have played ultimate frisbee since my college days; now, I play with a group at the Lab on Fridays during our lunch break, whenever possible. Every now and then, I play tennis with some local friends. I participate on the Lab’s Get Fit team each year and run, bike, hike, and ski to log the needed workout minutes.  

I’m a huge college football fan. I was a season ticket holder while a student at Clemson and now attend all of their games played at Boston College. Besides attending college football games, I sometimes go to Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins games.