Our team consists of students from multiple disciplines at Penn State. Each member has their own specialty and is responsible for a different aspect of the project.
Students
Chris Cernicky
Chris is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a senior in Aerospace Engineering. When he’s not doing classwork, he enjoys playing and watching sports as well as skiing. After graduation he hopes to start a career in the aerospace field.
Sahil Desai
Sahil is a freshman from Demarest, New Jersey studying Aerospace Engineering. He has worked at the nanomaterials research laboratory at the University of Connecticut and is a recipient of the Provost Scholarship from Penn State. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports like tennis or running track. After graduation, he plans on getting a full-time job or going to graduate school. Sahil is the only freshman on the team.
Bridget Dougherty
Bridget, a senior from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is our expert in business and finance. She is double majoring in Energy, Business, and Finance and International Politics and has a minor in Chinese. Her past work experiences include interning for Conewago Creek Initiative, working as a research analyst for the Political Science department, and acting as a Faculty Assistant for the Schreyer Honors College Distinguised Honors Faculty Program. Bridget was also awarded a scholarship from HESS for excellence in EBF 304M. Her favorite classes at Penn State have been Electricity Markets with Dr. Seth Blumsack and Religion and War in World Politics with Dr. Errol Henderson. In the little spare time she has, Bridget enjoys swimming, reading, yoga, and travel.
Tyler Druce
Ty is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania and is a senior studying Aerospace Engineering. He has worked for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in both Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and Sunnyvale, California. After graduation, he plans to hold a full-time position with Lockheed in Sunnyvale. Ty’s favorite classes at Penn State have been his Aerospace classes and he has been placed on the Dean’s List his entire time at the university. Ty enjoys sports and activities with his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Steve Flinchbaugh
Steve is a senior Aerospace Engineering major from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. In the past he has interned with Siemens and Sikorksy, but has secured a full-time consulting position with Booz Allen Hamilton in Herndon, VA after graduation. This year, he was a dancer in Penn State’s Dance MaraTHON, raising money for pediatric cancer research. His favorite classes have been EDSGN 497K with Xinli Wu and AERSP 425 with Mark Maughmer. In his spare time, Steve enjoys riding motorcycles, golfing, playing soccer, and skiing.
Megan Jander
Megan is a junior from Freehold, New Jersey. She is a Broadcast Journalism major who is creating a documentary about the Penn State Collegiate Wind Competition Team. Her favorite classes have been Ethics in Communications and Effects of Culture in Communications. She hopes to work for any broadcasting company after graduation. Megan enjoys writing, drawing, ice skating, and singing, and she also has a black belt.
Adam Johnson
Adam, a senior from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, is studying Aerospace Engineering. He has worked in the Applied Research Laboratory on campus. Besides working with Penn State’s wind competition team, he is also working with other students to build a satellite. His favorite class has been Orbital Mechanics with Dr. Robert Melton. Adam hopes to find a career in the space industry after graduation. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and rock climbing.
Kevin Knechtel
Kevin is a senior majoring in Aerospace from Butler, Pennsylvania. He has previously interned for Pratt & Whitney. In his spare time, he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee. Kevin hopes to get a full-time job after graduation or hike and backpack across Europe.
Jacob Lampenfield
Jacob is a senior Aerospace Engineering major from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. His favorite class at Penn State has been Advanced Orbital Mechanics and he has been on the Dean’s List. Jacob hopes to go to grad school or pursue a career with Astrodynamics after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys attending concerts, fencing, and Akido.
Justin Lehrer
Justin is a junior in Energy Engineering hailing from East Setauket, New York. He was placed on the Dean’s List in the Fall of 2011 and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Justin’s favorite class at Penn State has been EGEE 437 (Solar Energy Conversion Systems) with Dr. Jeffrey Brownson. When he’s not working on his classes, Justin enjoys baseball and football and is the President and Drum Captain of the Nommo West African Dance Company.
Gregory Liptak
Gregory is a senior in Aerospace Engineering from Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania. He has had three internships with Boeing doing structural design. His favorite class at Penn State has been Catia Design with Xinli Wu. Greg works on the design and development of all the CAD for the test turbine. After graduation he hopes to work on aircraft structural design at Boeing. Greg enjoys snowboarding, biking, fishing, and hunting.
Yande Liu (Armstrong)
Armstrong is a senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and comes from Tangshan, China. One of the ways he contributes to the project is working on the electrical component of the test turbine. His favorite professors at Penn State are Dr. Mark Maughmer and Dr. Robert Melton, and he has been on the Dean’s List. Armstrong plans to go to graduate school to get a master’s degree. In his spare time, he enjoys soaring and photography.
Danhao “Spark” Ma
Spark is a senior Energy Engineering major from Shanghai, China with a minor in Environmental Engineering. His interest in the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition came from the professor of his favorite class, Dr. Susan Stewart. He has been a research assistant in various projects including energy conversion and storage, simulation on underground fluid reactions, and electrocatalysis. Last year, he received the Evan Pugh Scholar award. In his limited free time he enjoys reading.
Evan Masters
Evan is from Chicago, Illinois and is a senior studying Aerospace Engineering. He has worked for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. His favorite classes at Penn State have been AERSP 311 (Aerodynamics) with Dr. Schmitz and AERSP 460 (Control Systems) with Dr. Melton, and he has made the Dean’s List. Evan is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and enjoys sports, fly fishing, and WWE. He hopes to find a job with an aerospace company after graduation.
Ramon Morales
Ramon is a senior Aerospace major from Brooklyn, New York. He has worked as a research assistant at the Rotorcraft Center of Excellence at Penn State was given an award for leadership for his work with the PREF Summer Bridge Program for first-year engineering students. His favorite class at Penn State has been Orbital Mechanics with Dr. Robert Melton. After graduation, Ramon wants to find a career in spacecraft structures or dynamics. He enjoys boxing, deejaying, and riding his motorcycle.
Jeremy Ogorzalek
Jeremy is from Clarksville, Maryland and is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he hopes to gain experience in the industry before going to graduate school. His favorite classes at Penn State have been the ones dealing with design. This past summer he was a Global Manufacturing Intern at Victaulic in Easton, PA and has made the Dean’s List every semester. Jeremy also earned the “Best Tractor Driver” award from his grandfather when he crashed his tractor into a snowbank.
Ken Palamara
Ken is a senior from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania majoring in Energy Engineering. His passion for engineering design and sustainability helped him win 1st place in both the Agriculture Springboard Competition (2013) and the MNE Design Competition (2012) with Team GreenTowers. Ken is also a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and has his Solidworks Associate Certification. Due to his extensive experience, he was able to work as a lab assistant for Engineering Design 100. Besides pursuing a sustainable lifestyle, Ken enjoys camping. He hopes to become an entrepreneur and change the way the world thinks about and uses energy.
Parth Patel
Parth is a senior from Bensalem, Pennsylvania. He is majoring in Aerospace Engineering. He has worked for the Penn State Aerospace Department as a Lab Coordinator. Parth is a brother of Delta Sigma Iota and is part of the Big Brother Big Sister club. His favorite class at Penn State has been Aerospace 305W: Experimental Methods with Richard Auhl. In his spare time, Parth enjoys golf, tennis, machining, motorcycles, and travel – in fact, he’s traveled around the world twice. After graduation he plans on continuing the hunt for a full-time job.
Mike Popp
Mike is an Aerospace Engineering major from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. After graduation, the senior is looking for a career in the space industry in order to work on satellites. His desire to work in the space industry is fueled from the classes he took at Penn State, such as Orbital Mechanics with Dr. Robert Melton. Mike also praised his business classes and, of course, Wind Energy Engineering taught by Dr. Susan Stewart. He has studied International Business and Business Communications in Beijing and last summer worked on a project that optimized orbital trajectories with a Penn State professor. Mike enjoys playing video games, soccer, skiing, hiking and camping, and is an Eagle Scout.
Gabriel Rosenwald
Gabriel is a senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, studying Aerospace Engineering. He has worked with AECOM in State College as well as the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). His favorite professors have been Dr. Robert Melton and Dr. Sven Schmitz. After graduation, Gabriel hopes to enter a career related to the Aerospace industry, preferably in propulsion. In his free time, Gabriel likes to ski.
Peter Tarantowicz
Peter is a junior from Selden, New York, studying Energy Engineering and minoring in Energy, Business and Finance (EBF). He has worked with Engineered Energy Solutions/ McClave Engineering. Peter hopes to get a job in New York City after graduation. In his spare time, he enjoys reading.
Kody Veit
Kody is a junior in Energy Engineering from Harleysville, Pennsylvania. His favorite classes at Penn State so far have been Solar Energy Conversion Systems and Wind and Hydropower Energy Conversion. Outside of classes, Kody enjoys playing water polo and is on the university’s club team. His awards include being named ACWPC Honorable Mention All-American as well as ACWPC Superior Level All-Academic. Kody also enjoys to travel; he has travelled internationally and hopes to take a cross-country road trip after graduation.
Nick Ward
Nick as a senior in Energy Engineering from North Wales, Pennsylvania. His interests lie in wind energy and fluid mechanics. Last fall he was a TA for a fluid mechanics class and is currently a TA for a wind and hydroelectric power conversion class. In the past, Nick has held two internships as a Design Engineer for MC Dean, Inc. as well as an internship as a Geothermal Technician for Carney, Inc. His favorite professors have been Dr. Susan Stewart (EGEE 438), Dr. Sven Schmitz (AERSP 583), Dr. Dennis McLaughlin (AERSP 496), and Dr. Derek Elsworth (EME 303). Besides being incredibly intelligent, Nick is also an Eagle Scout. He hopes to teach one day.
Advisers
Dr. Susan Stewart
Dr. Susan Stewart is a faculty member in the Aerospace Engineering Department at Penn State. She coordinates wind energy engineering workforce development efforts and also directs Pennsylvania Wind for Schools program and associated Penn State Wind Application Center. She is the faculty adviser for Penn State’s 2014 Wind Competition team and also the Wind Energy Option Leader for Penn State’s new online Professional Masters in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems. She received her PhD & MS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2003 and 2001, respectively, and obtained a BSME from Penn State in 1999.
Brian Wallace
Brian is an adviser for the team and a graduate student working on his Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering. He is originally from Bradford, Pennsylvania. Brian has been awarded the NASA Space Grant Fellowship. His favorite topics are wind turbine aerodynamics and energy markets. In his free time, Brian enjoys golfing, traveling, and drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee.