Interviewed by Ellie S. (11th Grade)
Avni is a current senior in high school. She’s going to study materials science and aerospace engineering this fall! She loves building cool things, swimming/running, reading lots, and meeting new people. Let’s hear her take on environmental issues.
Sustainability isn’t just for environmental scientists. How have you blended your specific talents with your passion for the climate?
Avni: Every kilogram matters. When it comes to building 6500 kg or heavier fighter jets (or any aircraft for that matter), each extra kilogram adds weight that requires greater fuel usage and manufacturing power—all of which contribute to harmful emissions. When working on my research project last year—deep learning used to design alloys for hypersonic engines—low weight (translating to low density for these alloys) was a key design criteria for me. I chose to prioritize high strength-to-weight ratios not only to minimize financial cost, but also environmental cost. As a materials science researcher, I hope that we can continue to advocate for sustainability as the basis for innovation as we create the structures underlying next generation technology.
Can you share a story of a time you recruited a peer or a younger student into a project, and how that one-on-one connection changed their perspective?
Avni: While I interned last summer, I worked alongside researchers who were on the background oriented schlieren project (a optical technique for visualizing and analyzing supersonic shockwaves). This year, when a friend told me he wanted to explore schlieren for supersonic darts he designed, I helped him implement the ideas by connecting him with schlieren researchers and providing my own insight based on my project knowledge. This connection helped him realize the potential this project had and work out kinks in the high speed camera design, switching to high speed LEDs to capture frames instead. It was also a great interdisciplinary experience, connecting him (an aspiring mechanical engineer) with my more first principles physics knowledge and experienced aerospace engineering backgrounds.
If you could fast-forward ten years, how do you see your current studies or projects evolving into a career?
Avni: I see my current work in materials science/aerospace contributing to research in extreme environments. I hope to work on impactful projects, like making nuclear propulsion a reality, allowing for not only more sustainable rocket launches but also greater space exploration. This research could take place in a start-up or broader research laboratory.
Closing thoughts:
Avni: Science is really about finding a limit and pushing it further; attitude is everything. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that it’s less about the knowledge you have and more about your eagerness to learn and collaborate with people, intense curiosity, and endless drive to make the world a better place.
