Polina Verkhovodova selected into the inaugural class of Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholars.
Polina Verkhovodova is headed to Washington, D.C. this summer to intern at Voyage Technologies and will receive $1,000 as a part of the 2025 Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship (MCCS), a scholarship that recognizes and supports promising students in the aerospace industry.
The AE doctoral student is one of 10 students selected for the program, which also provides professional networking opportunities and an executive speaker series to connect students with accomplished members of the space community.
“I am looking forward to a policy-focused internship through which I will learn how commercial space industry fits in the regulatory ecosystem in Washington, D.C.,” said Verkhovodova. “I want to gain more practical experience in this realm to learn how policy will shape the industry.”
The Portland, Oregon native studied at Caltech, receiving her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2022. She knew she wanted to study aerospace engineering as an undergraduate after she had the opportunity to compete in the NASA Big Idea Challenge, which had teams design and develop a lunar dust mitigation solution.
Polina Verkhovodova
It was an area she didn’t have any direct experience in, but it broadened her technical and leadership skills enough to solidify her commitment to pursue aerospace engineering.
I chose to pursue a Ph.D. at Georgia Tech because their aerospace program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to creating innovative technologies, which I appreciate. Here, I have built a strong theoretical foundation in optimization, control theory, and astrodynamics, but have also had the chance to explore other interesting fields such as space policy,” said Verkhovodova.
She conducts research in the Space Systems Design Lab (SSDL) with Professor Koki Ho, studying the logistics of novel In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) infrastructures that provide service to satellites in space.
This research is critical to the public as space systems remain the only complex engineering infrastructure without regular maintenance, repair, and upgrade capabilities. Her work contributes to changing the paradigm of how engineers design and use space systems with reliability and sustainability in mind.
“I am grateful for my advisor, Dr. Koki Ho, who has always been incredibly supportive throughout my education. I would also like to give a shout-out to Dr. Thomas González Roberts, who encouraged me to explore the field of space policy, both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Verkhovodova.
Ishani Peddi
Ishani Peddi, (BSE 2025) an incoming master’s student at Georgia Tech, has been awarded the prestigious Matthew Isakowitz Space Scholarship. This summer, she will be interning at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., where she will work on the Aerospace Security Project focusing on space policy-related issues. This internship will provide her with an invaluable opportunity to apply her academic knowledge to real-world policy challenges.
She recently earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in aerospace engineering, to enhance her interdisciplinary approach to education and her commitment to impactful research in the space sector. She will be returning in the fall as a graduate teaching assistant and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs, science, and technology.
Currently, she is a resilience research assistant, focusing on transportation resilience issues. Previously, she was a research assistant in the Space Policy Research Group, where she works on issues related to cislunar governance and regime theory. Her previous research includes space sustainability and debris removal, and she has also worked as a research assistant at the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory. Ishani's research explores international governance, coordination, and sustainability as they relate to space, impacting modern society's reliance on this domain.
Ishani's academic journey is marked by her passion for engineering and her experience in advocacy and politics. She chose Georgia Tech's Aerospace Engineering program for its unique opportunity to study interdisciplinary subjects that have real-world impacts. "The opportunity for interdisciplinary study that has a real-world impact set GT AE apart from other programs," Ishani said. Her background in advocacy and politics has informed her understanding of how strong, informed policy and regulations can establish a foundation for innovation, particularly in the space sector.
"I would like to thank Dr. Mariel Borowitz, Dr. Lincoln Hines, and Dr. Lawrence Rubin for their support as I have found my niche in the space industry through space policy research," she said.
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