May 4, 2023
Congratulations to our Class of 2023 aerospace and computational engineering seniors – they did it! In their capstone courses our students have been building and flying aircraft, designing space exploration missions, and solving real-world problems using computational engineering methods. Many of them have also been conducting important research alongside our faculty, gaining real-world experience working internships and studying abroad. Meet two of just many of our outstanding students to learn about their student experiences and what they plan to do next as they head out to change the world.
Eesha Nayak
B.S. Computational Engineering
Hometown
Austin, TX
Scholarship/Awards
University-Endowed Presidential Scholarship, Bary Hustell Engineering Scholarship, Peter O’Donnell FOA, Dell Merit Scholarship
Leadership Experience
Senior Design Group Project Lead
Undergraduate Research/Internship Experience
- Computational Research Assistant in the Burgermaster Lab (Department of Population Health, Dell Medical School) for 3 years - leveraged patient-generated data to personalize nutrition interventions to prevent and manage chronic disease
- Software Engineering Intern at Athenahealth (Summer 2021 - Austin, TX)
- Data Engineering Intern at Athenahealth (Summer 2022 - Boston, MA)
How has your UT experience helped prepare you for your career path?
UT has taught me how to learn. Our classes were intense in the technical aspect, and learning material at school gave me the confidence that I can learn anything. UT also taught me the importance of teamwork. We had many teamwork-based classes as we got more advanced in our degree plans, and I have learned to work in teams to play to each other’s strengths.
Best UT memories?
I am in the Engineering Fraternity, Theta Tau, and my best memories are hanging out with my pledge brothers. I also had a ton of fun at UT games, especially volleyball.
What’s next?
I will be a Data Science Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (Gamma Division). Until my job starts, I am traveling and training to be a Yoga Instructor!
Mauricio Martínez Elizondo
B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Hometown
I was born in Laredo, Texas, but I grew up in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Scholarship/Awards
During my first year at UT, I was awarded the Communities of Texas Foundation Scholarship. In my junior year, I was awarded the Wings Scholarship. I was also awarded as an HSF Scholar, from which I received the UPS Scholarship.
Leadership Experience
I was the founder and president of UT SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space), an organization that focused on fostering interdisciplinary discussions about various space topics to the UT community at large.
Undergraduate Research/Internship Experience
During my first two semesters at UT, I did research with Dr. Moriba Jah’s team focusing on space sustainability and space debris mitigation. I also worked as an Attitude, Determination, and Control Engineer for the SCOPE mission at the Texas Spacecraft Laboratory (TSL). Last summer, I did a research internship at MIT with Dr. Danielle Wood, working on the Space Sustainability Rating with the Space Enabled Group at the MIT Media Lab.
How has your UT experience helped prepare you for your career path?
UT is a diverse place that has allowed me to learn, not only about my major, but also about various topics that have informed my interests and have led me to develop a defined research interest. The Aerospace Engineering department at UT has prepared me incredibly well to tackle real-world aerospace problems, but the university has allowed me to diversify my education and become a person with well-rounded interests. I sincerely think that UT was the perfect place for me to obtain my education.
Best UT memories?
Definitely the study nights with my friends to prepare for Spacecraft Dynamics and Orbital Mechanics exams. At the time, it was super stressful, but I look back at those times with a lot of affection, as we were so focused on learning about something that we deeply cared about. Also, going to UT football and basketball games and exploring the city of Austin are things that I will always remember with a lot of love.
What’s next?
I will be staying at UT Aerospace Engineering, but now as a graduate student under Dr. Ann Chen in the Radar Interferometry Group. My goal is to learn remote sensing and radar sciences and to apply this knowledge to deeply important social, cultural, and ecological problems that can be addressed through the powerful applications of satellite technologies. I want my research efforts to be impactful and interdisciplinary, and I know that I will be able to do this at UT Austin.
Know where you're going next, new graduates? Let us know by updating your contact information on our alumni update form!
