May 6, 2020
Students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at UT Austin have been learning from home via online courses since returning from spring break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To say the least, it’s been a difficult time, especially for seniors who have been looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments. We interviewed two of our seniors to learn more about how they are coping with these new changes to their daily lives while also finding ways to stay positive as they prepare to leave the Forty Acres and begin their next chapters in life.
Josefina Morales Salazar
ASE Senior, Class of 2020
Josefina Morales Salazar, who has been working as the prospective student coordinator for the department, has also worked as both the team lead for flight hardware and outreach for the Texas Spacecraft Laboratory. She’s also served as a peer assistance leader and as a 2019 Grand Challenge Coordinator for the Brooke Owens Fellowship, which she received in 2019. She is also a recipient the recipient of the 2020 UT Austin President’s Leadership Award. After graduation, Salazar will be working as an electrical systems engineer at Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, CA.
Rohan Sikdar
ASE Senior, Class of 2020
Rohan Sikdar has been working as a peer advising coordinator for the department and has also served as both president and treasurer in the UT Austin Chapter of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). After graduation, he will be working as a consultant for a large company in Austin.
