Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
Robert Steve Provence is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he teaches courses in digital signal processing, electrical power systems, signals and systems, electronics, digital logic, and capstone design. His academic background includes a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, with research spanning navigation filters for GPS and fuzzy logic control of nonlinear and unstable systems.
Prior to joining UST, Dr. Provence served as an Electrical Engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, leading and contributing to projects in small-satellite development, lunar surface navigation, delay/disruption tolerant networking, optical communications, and robotic systems such as the Astrobee free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station. He has also played key technical and leadership roles on programs including the Orion Launch Abort System, the Gateway portable computer and support server for the lunar Gateway space station, and NASA’s Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O) and the Launch Abort System (LAV).
Dr. Provence’s research portfolio includes advances in GPS navigation algorithms, satellite formation flying, space-qualified antennas, and logistics management onboard the ISS. His publications cover topics in satellite navigation, RFID-based localization, neural-network control, and modeling of Earth–moon gravitational effects, reflecting a sustained interest in bridging control theory, estimation, and space systems engineering.
He has extensive experience mentoring students through senior design projects, thesis and dissertation committees, and laboratory-based learning. Dr. Provence is active in the broader engineering community through service on industrial advisory boards and standards activities, and his work has been featured in media highlighting the educational and research impact of small satellites and space technology.