Our Team

We are a group of students and engineers committed to expanding the frontiers of science and technology

Team Image

Kevin K. Schwarm Graduate Researcher

National Defense Science and Engineering Fellow

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - University of Miami
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Freeport, ME, USA

Research Interests:
-Internal combustion engines
-Sustainable energy
-Environmental and planetary sensing


Isabelle C. SandersGraduate Researcher

NSERC Canada Scholar

Education:
B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering - Queen's University
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Toronto, ON, Canada

Research Interests:
-Flow-field imaging
-Sensor development
-Hybrid rocket propulsion


Nicholas M. KuenningGraduate Researcher

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Granada Hills, CA, USA

Research Interests:
-Detonation engine diagnostics
-Shock tubes
-Rocket propulsion


Alex KellerGraduate Researcher

Education:
B.S. in Physics - Randolph-Macon College
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
York, PA, USA

Research Interests:
-Liquid rocket propulsion
-Additive manufacturing
-Rotating detonation rocket engines


Barathan JeevaretanamGraduate Researcher

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC San Diego
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Research Interests:
-Solar-thermal energy
-Laser diagnostics
-Reactive flows


Ariya OlaeeGraduate Researcher

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Irvine

Hometown:
Fremont, CA, USA

Research Interests:
-Flowfield imaging
-Planetary entry


Griffin HoustonGraduate Researcher

Education:
B.S. in Applied Physics - Brigham Young University

Hometown:
Manassas, VA, USA

Research Interests:
-Environmental monitoring
-Renewable energy


Former Lab Members

Dr. Fabio A. BendanaPhD Graduate

Current Position:
Research Chemist in Combustion and Propulsion at The Aerospace Corporation

Education:
B.S. in Aero/Mechanical Engineering - UC Irvine
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
San Francisco, CA, USA


Dr. Daniel D. LeePhD Graduate

Current Position:
Experimental Physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Gainesville, FL, USA


Dr. Chuyu Wei PhD Graduate / Postdoc

Current Position:
Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University

Education:
B.S. in Energy Engineering - Zhejiang University
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Hunan, China


Prof. Daniel I. Pineda Postdoc

Current Position:
Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UT Austin
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Berkeley
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Berkeley

Hometown:
San Antonio, TX, USA


Dr. Anil P. Nair PhD Graduate

Current Position:
Principal Physicist at Northrop Grumman

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Murrieta, CA, USA



Prof. Nicolas Minesi Postdoc

Current Position:
Assistant Professor at Université Paris-Saclay/ CentraleSupélec

Education:
B.S. in Physics - Université Paris-Saclay
M.S. in Plasma Physics - Université Paris-Saclay
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering - Université Paris-Saclay/ CentraleSupélec

Hometown:
Burgundy, France


Dr. Christopher Jelloian PhD Graduate

Current Position:
Principal Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman

Education:
B.S. in Physics - California Lutheran University
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Chatsworth, CA, USA





Huy Dinh MS Graduate

Current Position:
Structures Engineer at SpaceX

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam






Josue J. Castillo MS Graduate

Current Position:
Systems Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Downey, CA, USA




Travis FujimotoMS Graduate

Current Position:
Lead Propulsion Engineer at Relativity Aerospace

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - Oregon State
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Mililani, HI, USA





David S. MorrowMS Graduate

Current Position:
Mechanical Engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

Education:
B.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics
- Virginia Tech
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Roanoke, VA, USA


Alex LimaMS Graduate

Current Position:
Mechanical Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Turlock, CA, USA





Joel OtomizeMS Graduate

Current Position:
Mechanical Engineer at Northrup Grumman

Education:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering - University of Portland
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Kampala, Uganda



Miles RichmondMS Graduate

Current Position:
Instructor for Mountain Sports School (Wyoming)

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Sacremento, CA, USA


China G. Hagström BS Graduate

Current Position:
Graduate Student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Mill Valley, CA, USA


Anneliese Peterson BS Graduate

Current Position:
Propulsion Engineer at Northrup Grumman

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Pleasant Hill, CA, USA


Nora StacyBS Graduate

Current Position:
Turbomachinery Project & Component Engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
San Francisco, CA, USA





Dennis Lai BS Graduate

Current Position:
Graduate Student at Stanford University

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Hong Kong







Tara Mellor BS Graduate

Current Position:
Graduate Student at UC Los Angeles

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
San Francisco, CA, USA


Sarah Enayati BS Graduate

Current Position:
Graduate Student at UC Los Angeles

Education:
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Los Angeles, CA, USA


Nik Struntz Undergraduate Researcher

Current Position:
Undergraduate Student at UC Los Angeles

Hometown:
Frederick, MD, USA