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UW Aeronautics and Astronautics Department

Research programs

Alumni Highlights

The 2025 Distinguished Alum

Gary Lai (B.S. '99), who has redefined commercial spaceflight and now aims to harness lunar resources for humanity's future, is our 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

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                    Mira Tipirneni headshot

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Mira Tipirneni

A&A doctoral student and Varanasi Fellow

Mira Tipirneni demonstrates exceptional expertise in computational modeling, materials science, and aerospace engineering. Her research in our department focuses on developing digital tools to predict rain erosion on aircraft coatings, eliminating the need for costly physical testing. Her approach to solving real-world aerospace challenges will prove invaluable as the industry continues to develop more durable and efficient aircraft.

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RELATED STORY

Tipirneni is a Varanasi Fellow

Mira Tipirneni is our most recent Varanasi Fellow, working on preventing aircraft rain erosion.

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