Kate Gunderson, Prashant Khare, Ion Leahu-Aluas, and Thilini Schlesinger honored for their impact and expertise.
The Georgia Tech Alumni Association has announced the 2023 class of 40 Under 40 honorees. This annual program showcases how Tech alumni impact every field worldwide and work to improve the way we live through their diligence and expertise from an early age. This exceptional class of Jackets have done the impossible; from furthering space exploration to revolutionizing healthcare, these individuals have made the Tech community exceptionally proud.
Among the honorees include four Daniel Guggenheim School alumni, Kate Gunderson, Prashant Khare, Ion Leahu-Aluas, and Thilini Schlesinger. These alumni are making a positive impact in aviation, academia, aerospace, and engineering. Read about their careers since graduating and some of their favorite Tech memories below.
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Kate Gunderson, MS AE 18
Graduate Assistant | National Test Pilot School
Kate Gunderson is currently attending the National Test Pilot School through a flight test engineering fellowship. To pursue this opportunity, she left her dream job at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she worked as an engineer and NASA’s youngest Flight Science Officer, supporting various astronaut training activities and airborne science missions flown all over the world. Gunderson holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech. She is a Boston-qualifying marathon runner and has a passion for empowering women to confidently thrive in STEM fields.
Football games and the Tech traditions that made me feel like I belonged will remain some of my fondest memories.
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Prashant Khare, PhD AE 14
Associate Department Head & Program Chair | University of Cincinnati
Prashant Khare is an associate professor and serves as the associate department head and program chair of aerospace engineering at University of Cincinnati (UC). He is an invitee to the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering symposium, a recipient of the AIAA Outstanding Scientific Technical Contributions Section Award, Penn State College of Engineering’s “40 Under 40” Award (now called the Early Career Award), Penn State Mechanical Engineering’s Early Career Award, Sigma-Xi Young Investigator Award, ILASS’s W.R. Marshall Award, and UC Faculty Excellence Award, among other awards for his research and leadership. He is the cofounder of the Advanced Research Computing Center and the founder of the Hypersonics laboratory at UC.
The rocket engine at the entrance of the Knight building and the wonderful lifelong friends I made at Georgia Tech.
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Ion Leahu-Aluas, AE 06
CEO | DRIVECO
As a CEO with extensive knowledge in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Ion Leahu-Aluas has consistently maintained a hands-on approach in his leadership role. His passion for the EV charging field has enabled him to assemble high-performance teams that are aligned with his vision for cleaner mobility. At DRIVECO, he has been instrumental in transforming a simple concept into one of the fastest-growing charge point operators globally. Through strategic planning and precise execution, he remains committed to driving progress towards a sustainable future. He credits Georgia Tech and the skills he acquired through his Tech education for shaping his character and skills.
Getting 100 on my very first test.
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Thilini Schlesinger, AE 07
Private Astronaut Mission Manager | NASA
Thilini Schlesinger is a private astronaut mission manager at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). Most recently, she was the NASA Mission Manager for the Axiom-2 mission. She has served as an ISS research portfolio manager for the International Space Station Program, deputy project manager of the Advanced Exploration System Logistics Reduction Project, and space shuttle flight controller in the Mission Control Center. While at Georgia Tech, she worked at JSC as part of the cooperative education program. She resides in League City, Texas, with her husband and three children. Schlesinger has had a passion for space exploration from an early age and is proud that she has fulfilled her dream at NASA.
One of my favorite memories of Georgia Tech is meeting some of my best friends during my first week as a freshman. We were all assigned to the same dorm.
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