CDR Donald "Bucket" Costello received the B.S. degree in systems engineering from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA in 2000, the M.A.S in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA in 2005, the M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, OH, USA in 2009, the M.S. in systems engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA, USA in 2011, and the Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA in 2020. He graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School and was designated an Engineering Test Pilot in 2008. He is a Assistant/Permanent Military Professor and is currently serving as the Associate Chair of the Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering department at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA and he is an Adjunct Associate Professor with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. His work focuses on the the certification and development of unmanned autonomous systems for practical use.