Dolan is the instrument systems engineer for the TRACERS project. He served as the lead system engineer for the design, delivery, and assembly of electric and magnetic field instruments flown on the NASA sponsored Van Allen Probe spacecraft. He successfully collaborated with colleagues across the nation, supporting the integration and testing of the instruments following their installation.

Due to his efforts, the instruments have performed exceptionally well since their space launch in August 2012. Dolan’s commitment to the UI and research began in the early 1990s as a student engineer, and continued to blossom throughout his career as he became the operations manager and hardware engineer for the now renowned National Advanced Driving Simulator, and assumed his current position in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. 

He received the Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award in 2013.