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
- Leading tours of the AOE Department for prospective students and their families
- The Fall COE Welcome Event for incoming first-year and transfer students
Visiting the AOE Undergraduate Program
During the fall and spring semesters, student AOE Ambassadors lead main campus department tours on most Mondays & Fridays, 2:30-3:30 PM. Tours provide an overview of the department and introduce prospective AOE students to points of interest around campus. Please contact Emily Metzgar if you have questions about visiting during the summer or require additional information.
We also offer tours of the Aerospace Engineering Design Lab (AEDL) on most Mondays & Fridays, 4:30-5:00 PM. The AEDL is home to a variety of competitive, extracurricular, engineering design teams that focus on rocketry, aircraft, cube satellites and turbine energy. It is located in the Blacksburg Industrial Park, a short drive from the main Virginia Tech campus. Free parking is available in front of the building.
During March and April 2024, we are offering tours of our AOE laboratory facilites at the Virginia Tech Swing Space (VTSS) on the following select dates: Fri. 3/15, Mon. 3/25, Fri. 3/29, Mon. 4/1 and Fri. 4/5. All 5 of these tours will take place from 4:00-4:30 PM. The VTSS Building is temporarily home to many facilities for AOE during the construction period for Mitchell Hall, AOE’s future permanent home. VTSS contains the department’s administrative offices, many faculty offices, graduate student work areas, and a number of laboratory facilities. It is located in the Corporate Research Center, a short drive from the main Virginia Tech campus. Free parking is available in front of the building.
To register for an AOE main campus department tour, AEDL tour, and/or VTSS lab facilities tour, first click here to see what dates are available to register for events. Click on a specific date to see if an AOE tour is being offered. If a tour is available, fill out the registration form to sign up. Note: If available, AEDL tours will become available for sign-ups a couple weeks before they are scheduled to take place.
Students may also explore points of interest around campus on a self-guided tour.
Meet the AOE Ambassadors!
Carly Krokosz (Co-Lead)
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Wall Township, New Jersey
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team at Virginia Tech, Marching Virginians
Internships: Safran Aerosystems
Research: Hydroelasticity Lab
Favorite thing about VT: Blacksburg, and hearing the Burruss bells on the Drillfield.
Advice: Never be afraid to ask for help!
Holly Whetzel (Co-Lead)
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Culpeper, Virginia
Minor: Mathematics
Internships: Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Toffler Associates
Research: Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP), Motor-Propeller Characterization
Favorite thing about VT: One of my favorite things about Virginia Tech is the amount of people here that are willing to help you with just about anything.
Advice: Step outside of the box and try something new!
Aleem Ahmed
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Professional/Student Organizations: Rocketry at Virginia Tech
Internships: Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Favorite thing about VT: Gorgeous landscapes paired with dreamy sunrises and sunsets.
Advice: Upon arriving at a crossroads, say yes! New opportunities, new friends, new experiences, and new memories await you on the other side.
Lance Ayers
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Franklin County, Virginia
Minor: Business
Professional/Student Organizations: RockSat-X, Tau Sigma National Honor Society
Internships: NASA Langley Research Center
Favorite thing about VT: The many opportunities to gain practical experience through design teams, research, and internships.
Advice: Invest time in defining your goals early on and use them as a driving force to propel yourself forward in the exciting and sometimes challenging journey of aerospace engineering.
Jaden Bailey
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Internships: DoD - Defense Threat Reduction Agency, upcoming -DoD - Naval Surface Warfare Center (Summer 2024)
Favorite thing about VT: My favorite thing about Virginia Tech is the people I have met and the friends I have made!
Advice: Make sure to stay on top of your assignments and to utilize the resources given to you by your teachers like office hours.
Fun Fact: I am currently a SMART Scholarship recipient.
Trevor Bradshaw
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Minors: Naval Engineering, Nuclear Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)/American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE), American Nuclear Society (ANS), Marine Engineering Collegiate Competition Team
Internships: Fincantieri Research Scholar
Favorite thing about VT: The tight-knit community feel, even at such a big school I see people I know everywhere I go.
Research: Nuclear Materials and Fuel Cycles Laboratory
Tatum Butler
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Minor: Astronomy
Professional/Student Organizations: Theta Tau Professional Coed Engineering Fraternity, NASA Student Launch at Virginia Tech (SLVT), Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)
Internships: Maxar Space Robotics, Maxar Space, Microport Orthopedics
Favorite thing about VT: Aside from the energetic student culture, I love being in the mountains and feeling immersed in the geography of the area. It's also an especially great area for stargazing!
Fun Fact: I've worked on 5+ satellites now in orbit around Earth!
Maggie Campbell
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Minors: Naval Engineering, Nuclear Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: SNAME/ASNE at Virginia Tech, American Nuclear Society (ANS), Human Powered Submarine Design Team, Outdoors Club
Internships: Upcoming - NAVSEA Combatant Crafts Division of Carderock through the Naval Research Enterprises Internship Program (Summer 2024)
Favorite thing about major: I get to study ships and watercraft and learn how they work all day. I've been fascinated by ships for as long as I can remember and I've always loved to be on the water.
Fun Fact: I'm open-water SCUBA certified and was the pilot for my design team's latest submarine, Kraken. I piloted it across the finish line to a third place finish in our class at our competition over the summer.
Neha Chinthapatla
Graduate Degree: MS in Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2023
Hometown: South Riding, Virginia
Research: Working at VT National Security Institute with NASA JPL on testing heliophysics instrumentation for a CubeSat mission
Internships: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
Favorite thing about major: I get to work on things that I dreamed about as a child.
Advice: Get involved with something whether that's a club, research, or a design team.
Patrick Corrigan
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: McLean, Virginia
Minors: Leadership - Corps of Cadets, Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: VT Corps of Cadets, Air Force ROTC, Highty Tighties
Research: Nonlinear Systems Laboratory
Internships: Flight Dynamics Intern as NASA Langley Research Center, Trajectory Software Engineering Intern at CACI
Favorite thing about VT: Doing push-ups in the stands with the Corps after every touchdown
Advice: Talk with professors early on to find your interests and niche in Aerospace
Fun fact: I'm going to commission into the US Air Force as a Developmental Engineer upon graduation!
Jacob Davis
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Christiansburg, Virginia
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team, Marching Virginians, Hokies Pep Band
Internships: Pathways Intern at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Favorite thing about major: I love solving complex problems, studying the most interesting physical phenomena in nature, and using that to design some of the most impressive vehicles we have ever made to fly, explore, and learn about the universe.
Fun Fact: I play clarinet in the marching band and guitar in the basketball pep band!
Anushka Devarajan
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Anaheim, California
Minors: Green Engineering, Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED), Wind Turbine Team
Internships: Research and Technology (R&T) at Collins Aerospace
Advice: Don't be afraid of being wrong or asking too many questions. Chances are other people are wondering the same thing, so just speak up and make sure to ask for help if you need it! Professors don't bite, they are there to help you.
Fun Fact: I have lived in 4 other states in the US and have travelled to over 15+ different countries!
Chenming Fan
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Minors: Computer Science, Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Student Engineers' Council, Rocketry at Virginia Tech
Internships: ispace Technologies US, Collins Aerospace, Torc Robotics
Favorite thing about VT: Research opportunities and design teams
Advice: Ask questions when you think of them, and don't hesitate to reach out to whoever could help you
Joel George
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2026
Hometown: Folsom, California
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team
Internships: Boeing - Systems Engineering
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.
Carl Hayden
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Amherst, Virginia
Minor: Cinema
Professional/Student Organizations: Galipatia
Internships: Virginia Tech National Security Institute
Favorite thing about major: The challenge and wonderful people I've gotten to work with along the way!
Advice: Perseverance and being able to pick yourself up after a stumble is what makes one successful. College is hard, but it is not impossible.
Fun Fact: I have pet chickens!
Landon Hendrickson
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
Professional/Student Organizations: Orbital Launch Vehicle Team, Student Success Center Tutor
Internships: Ozark Aeroworks, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control
Favorite thing about VT: The atmosphere on Hokie game day!
Favorite thing about major: How tight-knit of a community it is. I’ve gotten to know so many interesting people in Aero!
Fun Fact: In my free time I go to the music halls to play jazz piano
Brittany Hoffman
Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Ocean Engineering & Spanish; Class of 2026
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Professional/Student Organizations: Alpha Omega Epsilon, 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
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!
Lila Hutchison
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Lynchburg, Virginia
Minor: Green Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: AIAA, Society of Women in Aviation and Space Exploration (SWASE), Outdoor Club, Environmental Student Organization
Internships: Boeing, Turbine Engine Fatigue Facility at Wright Patterson AFB, VT Student Sustainability Team
Research: Currently the Advanced Propulsion and Power Lab (APPL) with Dr. Lowe, previously the Materials for High-Temperature and Corrosive Environment Lab with Dr. Fu
Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be curious! Be vocal about what your interests are – that is how you will find your passions.
MaKenzie Kidd
Major: Ocean Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Abingdon, Virginia
Minor: Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Human-Powered Submarine Engineering Design Team, SNAME/ASNE at Virginia Tech
Internships: The Lane Group Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems
Research: Innovative Ship Design Lab - Hydrofoil Craft Research
Advice: Get involved in clubs, projects, activities as soon as possible!
Jessica Koka
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Minors: Mathematics, Naval Engineering
Professional/Student Organizations: Team-Lead for Autoplane
Favorite thing about VT: I love the people and the small town feel. The football games are great and I enjoy going hiking on the weekends!
Favorite thing about major: I love aerospace because I'm very interested in defense work, specifically work involving fighter jets. Maverick has a run for his money...
Fun Fact: I can speak Albanian!
Isabella Kuminka
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Mickleton, New Jersey
Professional/Student Organizations: Chi Omega (FSL)
Internships: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Favorite thing about VT: The Hokie community
Advice: This is demanding yet rewarding major. If you have the passion, don't let a few hard classes steer you away from your dream.
Nathan Rand
Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Round Hill, Virginia
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: Engineering Volleyball League (President), College of Engineering Dean's Team, and AIAA
Internships/Co-ops: National Institude of Standards and Technology (NIST), Sequoia Holdings (Software/Intelligence Company), NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (propulsion software work)
Current Research: CFD and Machine Learning enhanced combustion device design optimization for rocket propulsion with Dr. Roy
Favorite thing about VT: The food and the incredibly active/supportive student body!
Fun Fact: Duck's are my favorite animal and I have 3 in my car (not live ducks obviously)
Nathan Shune
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Sterling, VA
Minor: Mathematics
Professional/Student Organizations: AIAA; Design, Build, Fly @ Virginia Tech
Internships: Boeing - Design & Stress Analysis Engineering - 787 Propulsion
Research: Unmanned Systems Lab - Flight Operations Manager/Chief Pilot
Favorite thing about major: I get to apply my studies of the coolest vehicles on the world on a daily basis.
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.
Abrianna Valentin Ferrer
Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2025
Hometown: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Professional/Student Organizations: RockSat-X, CEED
Internships: HondaJet
Research: Hydroelasticity Lab
Favorite thing about VT: McComas Gym
Advice: Don’t overwhelm yourself… know your limits
Eszter Varga
Graduate Degree: MS in Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2023
Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
Master's Project: Time-varying System Safety Framework for Flight Transition Phase eVTOL Using Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN)
Professional/Student Organizations: AIAA, Sigma Gamma Tau, Aerospace Minority Program (AMP), Society of Women in Aviation and Space Exploration (SWASE)
Internships: GE, Wisk
Advice: Engineering is a team sport. Ask yourself often, what is your end goal with getting a degree?
Fun Fact: Most likely the first Hungarian Female Aerospace Engineer
Tamim Wadud
Major: Aerospace Engineering, Class of 2024
Hometown: Queens, New York
Professional/Student Organizations: Student Engineers Council (SEC), NASA Student Launch at Virginia Tech (NASA SLVT)
Internships/Co-ops: I did a 14 month long Co-op with Collins Aerospace (RTX)
Favorite thing about VT: I love the community, and all of the different people I have met here
Advice: Always try your best and never let any kind of failure deter you
Fun Fact: I was the 2021 Engineering Exposition Chairman
Kevin Xu
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
Research: Advanced Propulsion and Power Laboratory, Stability Wind Tunnel
Advice: Don't wait until the last minute! Start everything early!
Fun Fact: I have built a spacesuit cooling system that was tested in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.