How Did You Get Your Start?

I was graduating undergrad in 2008; not the hottest of job markets to go into. I got really interested in high-speed flight late in my undergrad. UVA has a fantastic program around hypersonics (a field that studies vehicles that go 3,800 mph or faster).

I got along with Chris Goyne, who would become my future advisor. It was a super exciting time to be in that. There were some really interesting things going on in the community, and I was excited to go to pursue my PhD at UVA.
My intent was to work in the industry. I guess staying in academia was always an option, but I wanted to go build things. Not that you can't do that in academia, but I wanted to expand. In a PhD program, usually you go very deep in a precise area. I kind of wanted to explore a bit outside of just one niche.

After UVA, I went to SpaceX in the aerodynamics group. I worked primarily on rocket landing, both from an aerodynamics and aerothermal perspective, some systems engineering things, and some interesting Elon side projects, like the Hyperloop design squad.

Currently, I’m the Founder and CEO of Fortastra, a defense and space manufacturing company based out of California.