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Surya Vohra

  • Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2020

  • University of California, San Diego, Mechanical Engineering, ‘21

  • Host Institution: Rocket Lab

  • Mentor: Tess Hatch

Surya Vohra is a 4th-year Mechanical Engineering major at the University of California, San Diego. If she were to describe herself in one word, it would definitely be a creator. Be it in regards to technical work or artistic endeavors, a love of design and production just runs through her veins. She is a highly ambitious, outgoing, and driven individual seeking to revolutionize the world through engineering innovation and developing cutting-edge technologies.

She was introduced to rocket science her 1st year of university and has since fallen in love with designing, testing, and advancing liquid rocket engine technology. Her previous internships include work with UCLA's MATRIX Laboratory exploring hypersonic vehicle materials, with Additive Rocket Corporation running chemical kinetics simulations, and with Stellar Exploration, optimizing spacecraft propulsion system test and design. In her 3rd year, she was recognized by UCSD's Center for Engineering Leadership as a Gordon Scholar and completed a year-long program dedicated to developing leadership skills in an entrepreneurial context focused on commercial space. She has also worn a number of hats within UCSD’s Chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS UCSD)–from Propulsion Design and Test Engineer to Conference Chair–and just concluded her second year as President. In the fall, she'll be heading to Van Horn, Texas to pursue a Test Engineering Internship with Blue Origin.

Outside of her space adventures, she enjoys boxing, writing stand-up comedy, shooting pictures, and hunting for the best iced oat latte she can find.

As a Brooke Owens Fellow, she is incredibly excited to be joining Rocket Lab's propulsion manufacturing team this summer!