AOE Ambassadors
Who are the AOE Ambassadors?
The AOE Ambassadors are ethusiastic and motivated students who enjoy talking to prospective students about opportunities in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace & Ocean Engineering. AOE Ambassadors assist the department with recruitment events for prospective undergraduate students. Some activities that AOE Ambassadors are involved with include:
- Engineering showcases for the Fall & Spring Admissions Open House events
- The Spring College of Engineering Open House showcase
- Presenting information sessions about the AOE Department for prospective students and their families
- The Fall COE Welcome Event for incoming first-year and transfer students
- Presentations, panels, major exploration events and more for current students
Visiting the AOE Undergraduate Program
During the fall and spring semesters, AOE Information Sessions will be presented in-person by student AOE Ambassadors on most Mondays & Fridays from 2:30-3:30 PM. Please contact Emily Metzgar if you have questions about visiting during the summer or require additional information.
To register for an AOE Information Session, first click here to see what dates are available to register for events. Click on a specific date to see if an AOE Information Session is being offered. If available, fill out the registration form to sign up.
Meet the AOE Ambassadors!
Lana Asaad (Co-Lead)
Majors: Aerospace Engineering & Chemistry, Class of 2027
Hometown: Springfield, VA
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team, Archimedes Society, Team Astra, Galipatia LLC, Art Club
Internships: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC)
Research: English to Engineering (E2E) undergraduate research group - Alternative Engine Cycles team. I work on determining the viability of a variable aircraft engine to assist in the development of sustainable aviation.
Advice: Get involved early on! Attend interest meetings for design teams, research groups, and any extracurricular you might be even the slightest bit interested in! Learning early on what you are most passionate about will save you so much time in the future, and college is the best time to figure out a potential career path you’d like to take.
Fun Fact: I animate and am a webcomic creator!
Kevin Xu (Co-Lead)
Majors: Aerospace Engineering & Mathematics, Class of 2026
Hometown: Blacksburg, Virginia
Minor: Chemistry
Professional/Student Organizations: NASA Student Launch at Virginia Tech (SLVT), Archimedes Society, Team ASTRA
Internships: Peraton Inc.
Study Abroad: Rising Sophomore Abroad Program in Norway/Finland and Japan
Research: Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks Unsteady Inlet Distortion at the Advanced Power and Propulsion Lab (APPL)
Advice: Don't wait until the last minute! Start everything early!
Fun Fact: 2025 Astronaut Scholarship recipient. I have presented my research to astronauts!
Lance Ayers
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Franklin County, Virginia
Minor: Business
Professional/Student Organizations: RockSat-X at Virginia Tech, SGT, TBP
Internships/Co-ops: VectorNav Technologies, Peraton / NSROC IV, NASA Langley Research Center
Favorite thing about VT: The many opportunities to gain practical experience through design teams and research.
Advice: Join a design team! It's a great way get hands-on and apply your knowledge and skills.
Juan Barreto Jerez
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Minors: Mathematics, Physics
Professional/Student Organizations: Sigma Gamma Tau, Tau Beta Pi, RockSat-X
Internships/Co-ops: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oglethorpe Power Corporation
Research: Soft Materials & Structures Lab
Favorite thing about major: Learning the scientific principles and current challenges behind the technology that keeps humanity interconnected and allows us to explore the universe is very cool.
Fun Fact: I am a big fan of classical music—especially opera.
Trevor Bradshaw
Graduate Degree: MS in Ocean Engineering, Class of 2026
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Minors: Nuclear Engineering, Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)/American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE), American Nuclear Society (ANS)
Internships: NAVSEA HQ, Fincantieri, NSWC Carderock
Favorite thing about VT: The tight-knit community feel, even at such a big school I see people I know everywhere I go.
Research: Hydroelasticity Lab
Maggie Campbell
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Minors: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Human Powered Submarine at VT, SNAME/ASNE
Study Abroad: Rising Sophomore Abroad Program in Spain/Morocco
Internships: Naval Architecture NREIP Intern at Combatant Craft Division of NSWC Carderock, Deckhand Educator at Call of the Sea
Favorite thing about major: I love that I get to work with and learn about boats everyday, because I love being on the water.
Research: I work in the Hydroelasticity and Tow Tank Lab, where I contribute to the following projects: ONR Slamming Wedge Drop, ONR Slamming Tow Tank Model, Wave Maker Design
Advice: Join clubs and get involved in a design team. It's the best way to learn hands-on engineering skills as a freshman, and as you continue your education.
Fun Fact: I love sailboat racing! I raced competitively in high school and still do over the summer.
Victoria Carpe
Majors: Ocean Engineering & Music Performance, Class of 2026
Hometown: Bear, Delaware
Minor: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: SWE, SNAME & ASNE, SAME, Tau Beta Pi, Global Engineering Ambassador
Internships: Newport News Shipbuilding
Study Abroad: Rising Sophomore Abroad Program in Australia/New Zealand; Spring Semester 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland
Fun Fact: I’ve been a sailor for over 11 years.
Joel George
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Folsom, California
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team at Virginia Tech, Catholic Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech
Internships: Manufacturing Engineering Intern @ Blue Origin, Quality Engineering Intern @ The Boeing Company, Systems Engineering Intern @ The Boeing Company
Favorite thing about major: Aerospace deals with some of the most complex engineering challenges out there, like making rockets and planes fly. Getting to learn the science and engineering that goes into these products is super interesting! Now, when I get in a plane, my brain is thinking about all the concepts I've learned in class.
Advice: Reach out and make friends as much as you can! Forming a good study group with students in your major can make or break you since classes get really tough and it's always helpful to have a group of people who know what you're facing, who can help you overcome those challenges together.
Roy Gichuru
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
Internships: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), VT National Security Institute
Study Abroad: Trip to Kenya with Engineers Without Borders - VT
Advice: Do not forget what drives you to be an engineer. Do not live in a bubble, ask for help and utilize programs established for you. Chat with professors and faculty. They can be the 1 connection away from your dream internship.
Fun Fact: My childhood home is 0 degrees, 2 minutes, and 14 seconds north of the Equitorial line
Brittany Hoffman
Majors: Aerospace Engineering & Spanish, Class of 2026
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Minor: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) Scholar, Marching Virginians, Dean's Team, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Society of Women in Aviation and Space Exploration (SWASE), Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE)
Internships: Federal Aviation Administration, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD)
Favorite thing about VT: I love the community and being able to be involved in many different organizations on campus!
Advice: Don't be afraid to ask for help from professors - it's great to make connections with faculty and they want you to succeed!
Ava Kerrigan
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: Wallingford, Connecticut
Professional/Student Organizations: SNAME/ASNE, Comedy Conglomerate
Internships: NREIP at Carderock The Combatant Craft Division (CCD)
Research: Dr. Gilbert's Hydroelasticity Lab and her Manta Ray research
Advice: Doing THE best and doing YOUR best are two different things; take one day at a time!
Leo Kovatch
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Minor: Japanese Studies
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team (OLVT), Club Soccer
Internships: Beyond Gravity
Favorite thing about major: You meet lots of hardworking and driven people who motivate you to be a better person
Advice: Explore the various clubs offered on campus and find the one where you fit in. These are the people who you will form lifelong bonds with.
Matthew McCollum
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Lorton, Virginia
Professional/Student Organizations: Design Build Fly, Solar Car, Gobble Rockets(GRAVT), Vietnamese Student Association, Engineering Volleyball League
Research: Dr. Saha's research in developing AI models to reduce computing time in solving engineering problems.
Advice: Get involved with as many design teams, clubs, and extracurriculars in general as much as possible in freshman year to figure out where your interests lie. Afterwards, you can trim down on your commitments based on what you enjoyed the most, but just remember to say yes to new opportunities!
Fun Fact: I perform in a traditional Vietnamese lion dance group.
Sophie Newman
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: NASA Student Launch Initiative, Society of Women Engineers, and the Catholic Campus Ministry
Favorite thing about major: The opportunity it gives me to be creative, think outside the box, and get practical hands-on experience.
Advice: Get involved in different clubs and organizations on campus!
Fun Fact: I play intramural co-ed basketball for fun!
Aidan O'Connor
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: Stormville, New York
Minor: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), Outdoor Club
Research: Fluid Dynamics and Acoustics of Biofouling/Compliant Surfaces for Naval Vessels
Favorite thing about major: I love uncovering new opportunities within my major, along with the close-knit ocean engineering community at VT.
Andres Ospina
Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Minor: Leadership Studies
Professional/Student Organizations: VTCC & Air Force ROTC
Favorite thing about VT: The beautiful campus and town of Blacksburg
Advice: Try everything early on and see what sticks! If you feel outside of your comfort-zone, that a good thing. you're growing. Doing things and getting out there is the best way to make friends that will last a lifetime.
Fun Fact: I have lived in 6 countries
Anita Raja
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: Singapore
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Internships: Republic of Singapore Air Force (Engineering Officer)
Research: English to Engineering (E2E) undergraduate research group - Aerospike team.
Favorite thing about VT: The beautiful scenery during the fall season.
Advice: Always ask why until you are able to answer every question. It's easy to 'understand' concepts by memorizing them or reading them off your notes but it is critical to be able to internalize them and truly know what is theory behind what you are studying.
Diego Salazar Jara
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Falls Church, Virginia
Minor: Organizational Leadership, Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Human Powered Submarine Team, Orbital Launch Vehicle Team, Pamplin Leadership Development Team, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Galipatia LLC, AIAA
Internships: Aerospace Engineering Intern at Magma Space
Favorite thing about VT: The welcoming community, many opportunities, and scenery (especially sunset at the Drillfield).
Favorite thing about major: All the opportunities available, especially in courses, extracurriculars, and research. I'm building rockets, submarines, and flying drones!
Cayden Smedley
Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2027
Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia
Professional/Student Organizations: Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class (PLC)
Internships: NASA, Goethe Institute, Schmale Lab (NSF)
Research: I conduct undergraduate research at the Propulsion and Energetics Laboratory (PropEL). We are researching the 3D printability of solid rocket propellent.
Fun Fact: I'm a former competitive Men's Gymnast.
Avery Sorce
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Malvern, Pennsylvania
Minors: Mathematics, Visual Arts & Society
Professional/Student Organizations: Alpha Omega Epsilon, SWE, CEED, Rince Tech
Internships: Boeing
Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Fun Fact: I am a competitive Irish dancer!
Andrew Tabor
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Lynchburg, Virginia
Minors: Computer Science, Math
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team
Internships: Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Favorite thing about major: The community of AOE students willing to help each other learn.
Advice: Be sure to make friends early on, and don't wait to pursue research/design team opportunities.
Eli Willett
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Burnt Hills, New York
Minor: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Human Powered Submarine, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, American Society of Naval Engineers
Internships: Alaska Center for Energy and Power, Newport News Shipbuilding, General Dynamics NASSCO
Favorite thing about major: It's a small discipline of engineering, so you make a lot of good connections both at school and in the industry. Everyone knows everyone.
Advice: Take every opportunity you can to get out of your comfort zone.
Research: Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics