Sofia Pantoja Email & Phone Number

Usc

Research Admin (June 2023-Present) - Led a team of 15 students in designing 5 catapults and analyzed FEA to manufacture an optimized carbon fiber model through compression molding for an American Society for Composites Competition- Mentored 4 undergraduates to collectively design, model, and 3D print 15 optimized columns for the National Additive Manufacturing Competition by the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering - Presented an additive manufacturing demonstration to 10 undergraduates- Executed 8 composite oriented strand boards (COSB) layups using prepreg carbon fiber, which employed matt stacking and mechanical agitation methods across 4 different aspect ratios to investigate voids and shear strength- Conducted a layup with prepreg carbon fiber embedded with fiberglass to investigate enhanced ductility with tensile testingStudent Researcher (September 2022-May 2023) - Led 5 undergraduates in designing a sustainable power generator and manufactured 4 COSB parts through compression molding - Modeled wind turbine molds on Fusion360 and then 3D printed molds using Creality - Developed a 20-page report and delivered a presentation on a sustainable power generator to composite professionals, resulting in a 1st place finish out of 10 teams worldwide in the American Society for Composites Competition- 3D printed a lightweight cylinder designed on Fusion360 that endured 1076 Ibf force, and out of 8 national teams, achieved 3rd in the additive manufacturing competition by the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering

Structures Engineer, Composites and Analysis (September 2022-Present)- Conducted ASTM D7078 on 4 specimens and ASTM D2344 testing on 7 specimens and analyzed the data to determine the shear strength to validate material properties for a new advanced nozzle as part of a 6-member team- Performed stress, deformation, and eigenvalue buckling analysis in Ansys on forward and aft load-bearing components- Drilled 400 holes and cut the airframe to final dimensions as part of a 2 person post manufacturing team - Enhanced manufacturing skills by performing layups for the TPS, nosecone, airframe, and nozzle systems of a supersonic and hypersonic vehiclesAvionics Engineer (September 2022-Present)- Designed and manufactured a ¼ wave dipole antenna prototype - Operated a NanoVNA and Spectrum Analyzer to test an antenna prototype’s performance and discover the optimized length - Managed a GPS locating system as a responsible engineer (RE) during a 6 in high-performance vehicle launch - Created footprints of PCBs utilizing Altium 365Design and CAD Engineer (September 2022-Present)- Modeled and constrained the motor assembly for an 8 in high-performance vehicle on NX- Generated machinist drawings on NX and collaborated with machinist to ensure design for manufacturing Safety Operations Lead (May 2023-Present)- Presented lab safety procedures and regulations to over 130 members

Camp Pendleton South, California, United States

- Developed a full-stack application to support all visitor requests across Camp Pendleton- Briefed the Technical Director & Chief Engineer of the Marine Corps on the improvements to the visitor request system - Programmed automated features to ensure communication between visit sponsors and security personnel - Integrated analytics to display more in-depth information to users- Collaborated with MCTSSA Security Manager during sprint reviews regarding system requirements

- Managed social media that educated robotics students on SASA’s mission to increase congressional support for STEM programs- Presented improvements for the new membership management system to SASA’s Directors

Bachelors Of Science - Bs, Aerospace Engineering, Freshmen

High School Diploma