Paavani Rai Email & Phone Number

Austin, Texas, United States

As President of LRA, I lead a dynamic team of over 100 passionate individuals spanning diverse disciplines united by our shared passion for rocketry and space exploration.In my role, I oversee the development and execution of cutting-edge projects in launch systems, propulsion systems, and advanced research initiatives. Our primary focus this year includes the ambitious goals of hot-firing our Hybrid engine, advancing the testing phase of our Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system and designing and constructing a rocket for the prestigious Spaceport America Cup.Under my leadership, we have fostered a collaborative environment where innovation thrives and where each team member's expertise is valued. Through effective project management and strategic planning, we continuously push the boundaries of what is possible in collegiate rocketry.

Austin, Texas, United States

A new team introduced in Longhorn Rocketry Association, we are aiming at developing small experimental projects (example: air brakes, scientific payloads) that can be flown on our rockets. The first project that the team has taken on is making a Scientific Payload for our rocket that will be launched at Spaceport America Cup this June. This payload will have the capability of measuring the deformation/pressure on the rocket during its flight till the apogee and subsequently perform inverse mapping to determine the aerodynamic loads on the rocket.

Austin, Texas, United States

Austin, Texas, United States

Austin, Texas, United States

As the SDI engineer, I am involved in drafting test procedures for the baseline evaluation of the Cadillac Lyriq given to the team. The goal of the team is to increase the performance of the car based on its acceleration metric. This entails adding a motor in the front and changing the one in the rear. This involves coordinating work with PCM team and ensuring the motors can be packaged in the space available. This includes conducting FEA on the motor mounts and working on CAD for the motor placement in the rear and the front structures.

United States

The EcoCar EV Challenge is a competition sponsored by GM, MathWorks and US Department of Energy. It includes engineering a next generation Battery electric vehicle that utilizes automation and vahicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity to implement energy efficient and customer pleasing features, while meeting the decarbonization need of the automotive industry. General Motors will provide our team with a 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ for experimentation and modification. My team specifically focuses on developing motors and planning the work procedure for the car by Fall 2023.

Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States

Austin, Texas, United States

Austin, Texas, United States

I worked on an on-campus research project under Dr. Lei Zhou in the Precision Mechatronics and Controls Lab during the spring semester and the summer. My research project involved making modular magnetic bearings for precisions mechatronics. This includes making magnetic bearings for high-speed applications since they enable noncontact motion, eliminating highly nonlinear bearing friction; enabling the machines the bearings to be used under vacuum environments due to their noncontact nature and can cover long stroke motion.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Computational Science

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering, 4.0

Activities and Societies: Longhorn Rocketry Association, Women in Engineering Society, Texas Aerial RoboticsCurrently, a Sophomore.

High School Diploma, Engineering Science, 99.2%

Activities and Societies: Head Girl of the Student Council, Member of Debate Club, Member of Quiz Club, Member of School Band, Vice.