What is your next adventure?

I'm moving across the country to pursue my Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My research will focus on analyzing and resolving multi-agent interactive scenarios and will combine tools from game theory, control theory, and optimization. This inherently interdisciplinary area has many applications, including aerospace and transportation systems, power systems, and robotics. I decided to transition from Aerospace to Electrical and Computer Engineering because control theory sits at the intersection of several engineering fields, and where it is housed often depends on the institution and faculty. At UCSB, I found that several ECE faculty shared my research interests, and I was especially drawn to the department’s academic focus and expertise in networked control systems.

What about your next adventure are you most looking forward to?

I’m excited about the opportunity to continue diving deeper into my research while also gaining a broader perspective by changing academic environments. I hope that joining a new school and a different department will allow me to bring a unique perspective shaped by my Aerospace Engineering background while also expanding the range of applications I work on. I am especially looking forward to continuing to develop a taste for interesting research questions and to the process of defining my own research vision.

Teaching will also be an important part of my graduate experience. For part of my degree, I will be serving as a teaching assistant (TA) for undergraduate courses, building on the experience I gained during my master’s program. Working with students and being on the other side of the classroom has been both rewarding and valuable for developing my communication skills. I’ve really enjoyed teaching, and continuing to work closely with students is something I look forward to as a PhD student.

Beyond academics, I’m excited to meet new people and experience a different environment. Being near the beach and having access to outdoor activities is an added bonus, and I’m looking forward to the balance and new perspective that the environment at UCSB can bring alongside my research.

Did you have any previous co-op, internship, or research experience in this area?

During my undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech, I initially began working in a very different area, combustion. This was under Professor Adam Steinberg in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab. My interest in control systems developed during the summer of my third year, when I interned at optimAero, a small consulting firm in California that works closely with major aerospace companies on guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) problems, mainly focused on unmanned aerial systems (UAS). That experience gave me my first hands-on exposure to controls beyond coursework, and I found the work especially engaging.

In my final year of undergrad, I joined Professor Jonathan Rogers’ lab, where I worked on aircraft dynamics and control simulations. Then, the summer between my undergraduate and master’s degrees, I interned at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at their Center for Automation and Robotics in Madrid, Spain. There, I worked on implementing autonomous navigation algorithms for drones used to monitor crops inside greenhouses, further expanding my experience with autonomous systems and robotics.

Finally, during my master’s degree I took a more theoretical turn in my controls research by working with Professor Sarah Li when she joined the department alongside Professor Rogers. Since then, I’ve been working on game-theoretic control, focusing on how autonomous systems interact with other agents, such as humans, in the real world. My research explores how these systems can integrate more seamlessly by modeling interactions in ways that align with the uncertainty that arises as autonomous systems are deployed in the real world. One example is how autonomous cars can make a decision when they do not know the intentions of other cars surrounding them. I recently completed my master’s thesis, where I looked at a specific scenario that described these types of interactions through game theory.

How did your educational experience at Georgia Tech help you to achieve your goals?

Georgia Tech gave me a great deal of freedom to explore a wide range of interests. During my undergraduate, I was heavily involved with the Design Build Fly (DBF) club where I learned about aircraft design and also developed my leadership skills. I also spent time in the Combustion Lab, and later transitioned into work in control systems and robotics. Because Georgia Tech is such a large and research-driven institution, there were countless opportunities to get involved in both research and extracurricular activities. That breadth allowed me to explore multiple areas before ultimately narrowing my focus and identifying what I wanted to pursue in graduate school.

Beyond academics, the environment has been equally valuable. The friends and colleagues I’ve met are now going on to work at major aerospace companies or pursuing graduate studies across a wide range of programs. Being surrounded by peers taking such diverse paths has given me a broad perspective on industry, academia, and research, and helped me better understand where I fit within that landscape. I think the size and diversity of Georgia Tech are especially valuable when you’re still exploring your interests and figuring out what direction truly feels right.