Mahzad Gholamian

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Mahzad

Gholamian

PhD Student, Colorado School of Mines

Mahzad Gholamian earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Isfahan, Iran, in 2021. She began her Ph.D. at North Dakota State University, where she worked as a research assistant from 2022 to 2023, and is currently continuing her doctoral studies at the Colorado School of Mines, where she also earned her Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2024. She leads a NASA-funded University Student Research Challenge (USRC) focused on developing a megawatt-class, high-speed electric dual-rotor motor for supersonic aircraft propulsion. Her research interests include renewable energy systems, power electronics, electric machine modeling, and advanced drive and control strategies for high-power, high-voltage applications such as wind turbines, spacecraft, air taxis, and eVTOL vehicles. Mahzad’s work integrates cutting-edge technologies aimed at advancing clean aviation and sustainable energy systems.

Evaluation Panel

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Yoshihiro Nomura

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Assistant Professor, San Diego State University

Pre-Doc Research Associate, Iowa State University

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Open Science Postdoctoral Associate, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

Technical Integration Lead, NASA STMD

Kenneth Engeling

Principal Investigator / Project Manager, John F. Kennedy Space Center

Jonathan Valenzuela Brok

Orion ESM Main Engine Lead, NASA Glenn Research Center

Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Project Manager, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Associate Professor, University of Louisville, KY

Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University

Franklin Robinson

Thermal Engineer and Technologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Daniel Engelhart

Research Team Leader, Hedgefog Research, Inc.

Christina "CJ" Johnson

Branch Chief, Project Manager, Course Organizer, NASA Ames Research Center

Assistant Professor, University of South Florida

Technologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Alexei Poludnenko

Associate Professor, University of Connecticut

Assistant Professor, Albany State University

Aerospace Engineer, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Abiraman Srinivasan

Chief Technology Officer, MediCarbone Inc.

Yossi Ehrlichman

Senior Principal Engineer, Raytheon

Assistant Professor, Syracuse University

Assistant Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Associate Professor, University of Central Florida

Chief of Advanced Projects, NASA GSFC Wallops Flight Facility

Intermediate-level Systems Engineer, MITRE

Russell Carpenter

Deputy Project Manager/Technical, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Assistant Professor, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Pavel Zagadailov

Physician and Researcher

Associate Professor, University at Albany, SUNY

Michael Douglas

Assistant Professor, Chair, Morehouse College

Mariano Serrone

Environmental & Aerospace Consultant

Marcel Kaufmann

Data Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Research Geologist, Astrogeology Science Center

Principal Investigator, Kara Aerodynamics Research Laboratory at Oklahoma State University

Krishnan Balakrishnan

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Associate Professor, Smith College

Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno

In-Space Transportation Systems Capability Lead, NASA - George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

TDM Level II Mission Manager, NASA/MSFC/ST40

Senior Research Scientist, NASA Langley Research Center

Isaac Kuma Yeboah

Head of International Digital Centre & Engineering, Pentecost University

Senior Scientist, NASA Glenn Research Center

Gabriel Sutherland

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Technical Discipline Lead for Electrical Power, NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Interdisciplinary Researcher, Fellow, Crucible Ignitor Program

David Leisawitz

Research Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Daryian Rhysing

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Aerospace Engineer, Gurjao Security Solutions

Chandana Gangodagamage

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Director, NASA Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute

Postdoctoral Fellow, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, NASA SSERVI CLEVER Team

Founder & CEO, Aaceses Ihmire Industries

Principal Research Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Ronald Litchford

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Rishikesh Srinivasaraghavan Govindarajan

Research Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Professor, Kansas State University

Maitreyee Sharma

Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech

Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Executive Director, Hines Family Foundation

Postdoctoral Researcher, US Air Force

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Charlotte Flatebo

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Associate Professor, California State University, Northridge

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Amir Shahmoradi

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Vesselin Yamakov

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Research Scientist, Thermal Protection Materials Branch, NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Fellow, NASA Ames Research Center Intelligent Robotics Group & NASA Johnson Space Center Dexterous Robotics Laboratory

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Melissa St. Hilaire

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LaShonda Henderson

Data Evangelist

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Congrui Grace Jin

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Bishnujee Singh

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Nathaniel Olson

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Aerospace Flight Systems, Engineering Directorate, Atmospheric Flight and Entry Systems Branch, NASA Langley Research Center

Dragonfly EDL Phase Lead, NASA EDL Strategic Capability Leadership Team Lead (Acting), NASA Ames Research Center

Navigation Engineer, Engineering Directorate, NASA Johnson Space Center