CSU Drone Center Team
Christopher Robertson – Drone Center Director
Email: [email protected]
Christopher has dedicated 24 years to Colorado State University, transitioning from a two-decade tenure in law enforcement with the Colorado State University Police Department to his current role as Director of the CSU Drone Center for the past 6 years. With over 9 years of experience in UAS operations spanning both public and private sectors, he co-founded the Larimer County UAS Team, offering drone services for fire, police, and search and rescue operations. Christopher’s expertise includes piloting sUAS for various missions, such as police, fire, search and rescue, GIS/remote sensing, and scientific tasks. He founded the CSU Drone Flight School, facilitating over 900 individuals in obtaining their Part 107 FAA UAS certificate.
Additionally, Christopher serves as an Adjunct Professor with the Walter Scott College of Engineering, teaching UAS technology. Holding FAA Private Pilot and Remote Pilot licenses, his proficiency extends to various unmanned aerial systems, including multi-rotor, VTOL, and fixed-wing models. Throughout his tenure at the Colorado State University Police Department, Christopher served for 16 years in the patrol division and 4 years in event security management. In 2020, he assumed the role of full-time Director at the CSU Drone Center, continuing his commitment to leveraging technology for community safety and support, as evidenced by his contributions to Larimer County Search and Rescue as a drone pilot, search leader, and K9 handler.
Adam Smith – Drone Center Associate Director
Email: [email protected]
Adam leads all public-facing outreach and educational initiatives drawing on over 20 years of teaching experience in the vocational / experiential learning arena. Adam is a retired Colorado law enforcement officer and emergency medical technician, and has 11 years of UAV piloting and program management experience encompassing a wide variety of missions for public safety, event management, search and rescue, collegiate athletics and commercial photography / videography. He is a proud U.S. Navy veteran with an unwavering commitment to community service and safety.
Don Hunter, Ph.D. – Wildlife Research and Development
Email: [email protected]
Don Hunter wears the hats of scientist, teacher, and author. With a doctorate in wildlife ecology, he was lured into the worlds of two big cats, the mountain lion and snow leopard. Their environments, east and west, enriched his life and moved him to study them and help to conserve their worlds. In addition to dozens of journal articles and publications, he contributed and edited Snow Leopard – Stories form the Roof of the World, a poignant collection of first-person stories by those who have shared a personal connection with this rare cat. His current research centers around using thermal-equipped drones to census the prey of large cats—wild sheep and goats in the mountains of Colorado and Central Asia.
Sudhish Raghupatruni – Student Technician
Email: [email protected]
Sudhish is a third-year undergraduate mechanical engineering student at CSU with a minor in biomedical engineering. In his capacity as a technician at the CSU Drone Center, he focuses mainly on repairing and maintaining drones, while also contributing to setting up the RedBird TD2 flight simulator and participating as an actor in the first responder UAV workshop. His career goal is to work as a design engineer developing impactful products that he is passionate about. His hobbies include motorcycling, fishing, and machining.
Bryce Rubino – Student Technician
Email: [email protected]
Bryce is a junior studying mechanical engineering with an interest in aerospace. At the CSU Drone Center, he specializes in 3D modeling and printing but loves anything that involves working with his hands. He just recently got into the world of drones, and it is quickly becoming one of his passions.
Jack Gottschalk – Student Technician
Jack is a senior Mechanical Engineering undergrad working primarily in CAD modeling and 3D printing. He enjoys spending time outdoors and modeling his own personal projects in his free time. After graduation he is planning to move into a career that involves design and manufacturing processes.
Bohannon “Bo” Robertson – Chief Canine Officer (CCO)
Bo is an accomplished Larimer County Search and Rescue canine, where he served the Front Range admirably for years assisting in many successful recoveries. Now in retirement, Bo helps train new search and rescue members in canine-assisted tracking concepts. Bo’s specialties include high-altitude fetch, decommissioning drones, and precision belly-rub landings.