Why did you choose to study at Illinois?

I applied to schools with strong engineering programs, including the University of Illinois. When it came time for me to decide where to go to college, the large number of classes and various disciplines offered in the AE department led me to choose Illinois. I also wanted to go to a larger school, as there would be a more clubs for me to join, opportunities for me to pursue, and people to meet.

Why aerospace engineering?

I developed an interested in math and science after taking BC Calculus in high school and being involved in STEM-based clubs. When I looked at majors that interested me, the first one that stood out was mechanical engineering because I wanted to work on developing high-speed cars. Then, I watched the Space X Falcon 9 launch in 2020. I got interested in rocketry and what’s happening in the space industry. This led me to pursue aerospace engineering.

Who helped you choose your specialty?

I was heavily involved in undergraduate research during my time at Illinois. I consider all the graduate students and professors I worked with as my mentors who motivated the choices I made for my future.

However, I would like to thank Dr. Hiroyasu Tsukamoto for guiding me, both in and out of the classroom. Dr. Tsukamoto helped me publish my first research paper and present it at an international conference. He also introduced me to many influential people in the field I am interested in and gave me guidance on various aspects of my professional life, such as graduate school applications. He has shown me how much of an impact a good mentor can have on someone’s life, and I hope to be that kind of mentor to students in the future.

I’d also like to thank Dr. Tim Bretl for providing me with many opportunities to learn through doing research in his group, being a course assistant for his classes, and taking multiple classes under him. I found his course AE598: Introduction to 3D Vision to be very informative and deepen my interest in computer vision.

 What projects helped you gain technical expertise?

I worked on a few technical projects during my time at Illinois: First, I was involved in developing the avionics bay for Illinois Space Society’s Endurance rocket in my freshman year. I learned about the basics of electronic hardware and circuitry. I also learned how to work in a team that has many moving parts.

Next, I was a part of Dr. Huy Tran’s research group, where I conducted experiments with an EEG Headset to use for development of an RL algorithm. This was my first experience with research. It allowed me to develop skills like reading academic papers, present my results to others, and think creatively to solve problems.

In the summer of 2023, I joined Dr. Bretl’s lab, where I worked on training a neural network to detect the hardening point of a gel called DCPD, which solidifies when heat is applied. The experience helped me learn how to make research presentations, work with many different groups of people, and interface my code with hardware.

In the spring of 2024, I joined Dr. Tsukamoto’s lab, where I developed a cost function to optimize the position of a swarm of satellites around an interstellar object. This was the first time I worked directly under a professor and not with a graduate student, allowing me to take charge of the project. I was responsible for my own progress and understanding of the material, as well as making sure the goals of the project were met in a timely manner. I also learned how to write a conference-level research paper and present it to professionals in the field.

What are you particularly proud of?

I am proud of the research paper that I published this year. After working in numerous research labs, I was able to prove to myself that I can work on a project from the start to the finish and write about it for an academic community. I presented my paper at the IEEE Aerospace Conference in Big Sky, Montana this past March.

Did you have any internships?

I did undergraduate research with Illinois’ Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program during the summers of my sophomore and junior years. I worked with a graduate student in Dr. Bretl’s lab on an interdisciplinary project between his lab and a group in the Material Sciences Department.

This summer I am working at the Air Force Research Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I will be working with a team in AFRL’s Space Vehicle Directorate where I will train a deep neural network on satellite data and predict outliers.

 How did the pandemic affect you?

I entered college in 2021, the tail end of the pandemic. After spending my senior year of high school completely online, I was learning how to socialize and interact with people again. I had to navigate a new environment and get used to taking classes in person again.

Additionally, I came from out of state, so I didn’t know very many people at Illinois my freshman year. It took a few months before I was able to find a solid group of friends.

Describe a challenge you faced and how you resolved it? 

A challenge I had early on in college was balancing schoolwork and extracurricular activities. I found that the classes were much more challenging than high school, and in order to do well I had to have a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered. I had to learn quickly how to manage my time as well as study more effectively.

I started by putting most of my time and efforts on performing well in my classes and changing the way I studied. Then, I slowly introduced extracurriculars back into my schedule while making sure I was on top of my schoolwork.

What extracurricular experience stands out as memorable for you?

I’d have to say that research is my most memorable experience. It allowed me to learn about different aspects of controls and robotics outside of the classroom. It also taught me how to think in different ways, work in a team, and effectively communicate my ideas and findings to others. My experiences changed my outlook on my future and my aspirations for my career.

How did you decide what to do after you graduate?

After my first experience with undergraduate research in freshman year, I realized that research is something I enjoy. I enjoy being able to think out of the box to solve problems that have not been solved before. Research allows me to be on the forefront of developing new technology. The critical thinking and problem-solving skills I developed during my experience in undergrad research is something I would like to refine as an academic.

Also, throughout my classes and extracurriculars, I developed an interest in autonomous systems. I was always fascinated about what makes robots and machines behave the way they do. A combination of these two interests is what led me to decide to pursue an advanced degree.

Where will you be located and what will you be doing?

I will be attending Georgia Tech for a Ph.D. in Robotics. I will be working in the Aerospace Robotics Lab and my research will be focused on designing multi-agent autonomous systems to navigate uncertain environments. In specific, I will be designing these systems for the purpose of space exploration.

 Do you have any other career goals?

I’d like to work in a national lab, such as NASA JPL, after I graduate. It will allow me to work at the forefront of robotic exploration of space, which is the field I want to go into. I’d also like to get involved in mentoring or teaching students, either during my Ph.D. or as a faculty in a school with a prominent robotics program. However, I do think that my interests will change over the course of my Ph.D., and I’m eager to see where the future takes me.

What's on your bucket list for the next five years?

I want to travel! I’ve been looking forward to traveling to Asia, especially Japan, Korea, and Thailand, and I hope to do that within the next five years. I also want to get in shape. I think it would be cool to run a long-distance race, such as a Marathon. I’d like to go to a heavy metal concert, as I am a big fan of the genre. On the professional side of things, I want to become a roboticist who engineers solutions and pushes the boundaries of what is possible.