This past year, I was able to truly enhance my experience at Ohio State and dive into my career. Fall semester, I took my first aerospace-specific class, where I was able to design my own airfoil and test it in our large wind tunnel in Bolz Hall! In the spring, I was selected as 1 of 18 students to take Ohio State President Johnson’s Pathways to Net Zero Emissions class, where I was able to develop a proposal using Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and thin client computers to reduce electrical power emissions and window coating technology to reduce heat loss emissions. I found an average reduction in emissions of over 1000 tonnes per year, with a payback period of 8.5 years.
Outside of classes, I became the Technical Assessment Committee Lead for our chapter of Engineers Without Borders, where we started a new project in Carrera, Ecuador to expand a 500 household community school. I also served as the Social Chair for our chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and have now be elected as incoming President for 2022-23.
I joined the Buckeye Space Launch Initiative (BSLI) NASA SLI team, working on the Avionics and Structures sub teams. I assembled and programmed the electrical components for operation of flight systems and retrieving aerodynamic data. I also fabricate and construct the exterior of the rocket over 40 hours using fiberglass and epoxy resin. In the spring semester, became the Outreach Chair for BSLI, where I collaborated with 3 local schools and youth organizations to foster learning within the STEM fields through 3-session program with over 30 participants constructing model rockets to learn about design iteration process.
As the editor and chief for the Kappa Alpha Theta monthly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion newsletter, I received the Innovation in Inclusion award from Ohio State. I also received my Diversity, Intercultural, and Community Certification from the Ohio State Multicultural Center.
By far the highlight of my Ohio State career so far is leading a team for the NASA Pathways to Blue Skies competition, which we began in October 2021. I led a team of 6 in developing airport design concept to support emerging climate-friendly technology, including vertical axis wind turbines, mass timber, dual axis solar panels, electrochromic glass, and GiPave. We delivered a technical paper, infographic, and video. We were selected as 1 of 8 finalist teams to present at NASA Langley Research Center, where we covered the commercial aviation outlook, design rationale, TRLs and affordability, and an implementation timeline. We utilized resources from OSU professors, our own OSU airport, the Columbus international airport (CMH), and the Battelle Center for Science, Policy, and Engineering. We placed second in the nation and were awarded a collaboration opportunity with Las Vegas Airport Strategic Planning Committee with upcoming presentation pitch for implementing sustainable technologies in the new international airport. Through this experience, I was able to network with many industry professionals and engage out of class with the aerospace industry.
This summer, I worked as a Systems Engineering Intern at GE Aviation in Dayton, OH on the Test Engineering team. I designed, pitched, and documented a test cell chiller cart project through technical drawings and BOMs. I also assisted large test cell project with plumbing, electrical testing, control box assembly & lab equipment, organized and ran 3D printing tasks, designed GUI in LabVIEW, and increased employee engagement. At the end of my rotation, I received the site-wide “Deliver with Focus” & “Lead with Humility” Impact Awards.
I am very excited for the upcoming year and what is to come! Go bucks!