MachWorks

MachWorks - Aerospace Engineering Design Lab, Virginia Tech
Structures Engineer | February 2025 – May 2026
Aeronautics Team Lead | September 2024 – February 2025

Recovery Team Lead | June 2024 – September 2024

My first position on MachWorks was being the Recovery Team Lead. I was responsible for establishing the aircraft's recovery subsystem from the ground up. Rather than beginning with an existing design, our team first defined the system requirements, decomposed the recovery system into individual engineering problems, and assigned ownership of each subsystem, including parachute selection, deployment mechanisms, failure detection/modes, shock mitigation, landing gear, and avionics integration. I coordinated the technical direction of the team throughout the conceptual and preliminary design phases, organizing weekly design meetings, reviewing progress, and ensuring each subsystem matured into a cohesive recovery architecture. Beyond leading the team, I contributed to the development of the preliminary design review (PDR) by performing literature reviews, evaluating recovery concepts, developing system layouts, and documenting the engineering rationale behind major design decisions.

As Aeronautics Team Lead, I was responsible for coordinating the conceptual and preliminary design of the ICARUS aircraft while leading a multidisciplinary team of twelve engineers. My role centered on organizing the engineering effort rather than owning a single subsystem, ensuring each discipline progressed toward common design objectives and project milestones. I coordinated weekly design meetings, delegated technical responsibilities, tracked subsystem progress, and facilitated communication between subteams to meet system requirements. I also contributed to the development of engineering documentation and formal design reviews, helping guide the aircraft through requirements definition, concept selection, and Preliminary Design Review. 

After serving in leadership roles, I transitioned to the Structures Team to focus on the detailed design, manufacturing, and validation of flight hardware for the team's next generation aircraft. My work shifted from systems level coordination to solving individual structural engineering challenges, allowing me to apply mechanical design principles directly to aircraft hardware. I contributed to the design of structural components while considering strength, weight, manufacturability, and integration with neighboring subsystems. Working closely with manufacturing and other engineering teams, I evaluated design concepts, supported hardware fabrication, and helped ensure components could be reliably produced and assembled..