About
Austin Taranta is a distinguished member of the technical staff supporting the microstructured and hollow-core optical fibre research group. As a domain expert in fibre-optic gyroscopes, Austin brings advanced knowledge of optical fibre guidance phenomena, fibre-optic components, interferometric & resonant sensing, signal processing, control theory, environmental effects, and reliability engineering to drive application-oriented research on the novel fibres that the group produces. As a scientist with many years of industry experience, he champions the engineering toolbox of statistical methods and quality control processes which ensure repeatability and reproducibility across the group’s experimental work. Before joining the ORC, Austin was a Senior Optical Engineer in Honeywell Aerospace’s Strategic Sensors Group. There he served in both research and technical leadership roles focused on the design and manufacture of high-performance fibre-optic gyroscopes for defence and space applications. In 10 years at Honeywell, he was recognized numerous times for innovative work, including with the organization’s highest honour for a technical achievement.
Austin joined the ORC in 2016, and here he has developed a host of fibre research activities touching a broad range of application spaces. His current research focuses on characterising exotic guidance properties of hollow-core antiresonant fibres, understanding the physics and chemistry of hollow-fibres used in sensing, and developing novel sensors enabled by the unique performance characteristics of microstructured fibres. In his time at the ORC, he has been responsible for a multitude of research awards, including the development of key industrial partnerships and MoD grants totalling £2.5M of awarded funding. He has been recognized several times within the university – he received the ORC Director’s award in 2017, the Dean’s award in 2021, and he was shortlisted for the Vice-Chancellor’s award in 2021. Austin received a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006. He holds several patents and has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications.