My name is Maya Sivakumaran, and I am a 4th year Eminence Fellow at the OhioState University. I am studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. I am from Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated from Walnut Hills High School.

I currently work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the High Fidelity Computational Multi-Physics Lab at Ohio State under Dr. Datta Gaitonde. I am utilizing neural networks in combination with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyze multi-physical fluid phenomena in hypersonic flight, jet noise & scramjet flow. I am also an Undergraduate Research Assistant with the Ohio State Battelle Center for Science, Engineering, and Public Policy at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

For the past Spring 2023 semester and Summer, I have been working as a Pathways Co-op at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, outside of Los Angeles, CA. I worked in the Controls and Dynamics Branch on the theoretical hybrid-electric Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) aircraft. I interfaced components of the ground control station and verified test cases of various flight simulations to allow for airworthiness evaluation.

In the Summer of 2022, I interned at GE Aviation as a Systems Engineering Intern in Dayton, Ohio. I worked on the Test Engineering team, engaging with environmental, vibration, and operations testing of new R&D hybrid-electric engine technologies.

I previously led an Ohio State team to place 2nd in the nation at the NASA Gateways to Blue Skies competition to develop an airport design concept to support emerging climate-friendly technology. We delivered a technical paper, infographic, video, and finalist presentation at NASA Langley Research Center.

In Spring 2022, I participated in Ohio State President Johnson’s Pathways to Net Zero Emissions project-based class, where I developed a proposal to reduce emissions by over 1000 tonnes under $30/tonne using Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, thin client computers, and window insulation technologies.

On campus, I am the President of our Ohio State American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Chapter, which aids professional development, skill-building, networking, and community enhancement for students interested in the aerospace industry. I previously served as the Social Chair. I am also an AIAA Diversity Scholar, which allowed me to attend the annual space industry conference ASCEND in Las Vegas on a full-scholarship in Fall 2023.

I was also previously the Technical Assessment Committee Lead for Ohio State’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB), where we worked on a project in Carrera, Ecuador to expand a school for a 500 household community by two new classrooms. I worked on our previous project in Njau, Gambia, assessing data from 5,000 L water tower and irrigation project for a town of 2,000 people. I now serve as a Technical Assessment Committee member for the Ecuador project.

Additionally, I am a part of the Avionics and Structures teams for Buckeye Space Launch Initiative (BSLI) working on the NASA SLI national competition to design, build, and program a rocket, focusing on completing a specific payload challenge. I previously served as Outreach Chair, where I connected and collaborate with local schools and youth organizations to encourage and foster learning within the STEM fields through the application of our BSLI members’ interests and knowledge.

With Eminence, I am involved with the class of 2024 service project, Project PEER. Project PEER stands for Prison Education and Empowerment Resources. We work with the organization OPEEP to participate in learning communities at local prisons, with the goal of assessing the needs on in-prison students in order to provide further educational opportunities and learning communities to incarcerated individuals. I created and operate organization website.

In addition to these, I am involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Battelle Air and Space Scope, and SKY Engineering meditation club here at OSU. I am a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, where I serve on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee as the newsletter design, editor, and chief.

Beyond my major and minor, I am passionate about mental health awareness and advocacy. I have been a part of various mental health organizations including the Cincinnati Youth Council for Suicide Prevention and Bring Change to Mind. I love traveling, concerts and music, trying new foods, hiking, yoga, and I have a personal photography business.

In the future, I aspire to work as an engineer in the air and space industry on cutting edge technologies. I am currently interested in design, aerodynamics, controls, and environmental aerospace engineering. I believe that space exploration is a humanitarian engineering pursuit, and I am excited to further explore my interests and make a meaningful impact on our world.