• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2024

• Rice University, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24

• Host Institution: Venturi Astrolab

• Mentor: Diana Trujillo

• Brookie Mentor: Anika Hidayat

Ayaka is a senior at Rice University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Engineering Design. She loves building prototypes and has worked on projects including an automated medical model that mimics movements of the heart and lungs, a wireless transmitter device for rockets, and an adaptive lighting system for lunar rover missions.

On campus, Ayaka is involved in engineering clubs, aiming to share the excitement of engineering with underrepresented groups, particularly girls. As the lead of the MechE undergraduate board, she coordinates events and advocates for fellow undergrads. Ayaka is also passionate about sustainability – she has served as the sustainability head of her college for the past 3 years, diverting over 400,000 lbs of food waste from landfills.

Outside of academics, Ayaka loves to be active and being outdoors. She was a competitive figure skater for 8 years and competed in fencing throughout high school. In college, she enjoys biking and exploring national parks.

Last summer, Ayaka interned at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she worked on a deployable antenna for the Mars Science Helicopter. This summer, she's looking forward to interning at Venturi Astrolab in Hawthrone, California!