Ian de Mallie

Ian De Mallie is a Master of Science student in the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department at the University of Colorado Boulder. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics with Honors. Upon graduating, Ian was commissioned as an Infantry officer in the United States Army, serving as a Rifle Platoon Leader in Fort Wainwright, AK and a Rifle Company Commander in Fort Hood, TX. In 2023, he was selected to transfer to the Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) functional area. His most recent assignment was as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-3/5/7, Headquarters, Department of the Army at the Pentagon.

While attending USMA, Ian conducted experimental research examining heating and cooling rates of steel targets using a High Energy Laser. His team used a 1kW laser to heat stationary steel plates and rotating cylinders, recording temperature data using thermocouples and FLIR. He expanded this research by examining the effect of thermally conductive coatings on heating rate and by developing a system to more precisely rotate steel targets at very low speeds (< 3 rpm).

Ian enrolled at CU Boulder in 2025 after being selected to join the faculty of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering at USMA. He is completing a Master of Science degree as part of the instructor pipeline. While at CU Boulder, he is working with NSI’s Dr. Campbell and Dr. Boyd on modeling air-breathing hypersonic propulsion. Upon completing his degree, Ian will return to USMA to serve on the faculty there.