Graduates

Jerimiah Zamora

I am a native of Corpus Christi, Texas and my high school teachers inspired me to pursue engineering. I have one younger sister in high school who is passionate about fine arts and theatre. My mom is a hospital clinic administrator at Driscoll Children's Hospital and my dad is an oil field technician at Citgo Petroleum Services in Corpus Christi. My family is the sole reason for my success. I am active in many Engineering Honor Societies and volunteer for the local food bank, vaccination clinics for COVID-19, and I have accumulated over 500 hours interpreting Spanish speaking persons at the Driscoll Children's Hospital. I earned BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from Texas Tech, and this is my first semester of the PhD program. In the future, I see myself making a significant contribution to science and engineering as a research scientist. Eventually, I would like to teach college students at the undergraduate level to further inspire them to conduct research for further development of our fast and progressive world. 

Luke Croessmann

I am from ABQ NM. My interest in engineering happened because I like building and figuring out how things worked. I have a younger sister. My father is an engineer at SNL and my mother stays at home. On the TTU campus, I am involved in the TTU combustion lab. I am a year-round intern with SNL doing computational modeling. I have a BS in mechanical engineering and a MS in mechanical engineering. I have been a member of the combustion lab since Fall of 2017. I am currently working on high-velocity impact of reactive materials and ballistic work focused on fragmentation. In my career as an engineer, I want to study fragmentation and work on large scale experiments. I plan to work in defense either for the DoD or DoE.

Neil Vaz

I am from Kerala, India. I was inspired to choose engineering because I have a natural affinity for problem-solving and so felt that Mechanical Engineering would be the best place to apply this. My parents are retired. My mother was a doctor and medical college lecturer. My father was a logistics manager for a computer company. I have not been a part of any internships but worked in the U.S. close to 7 years at L&T Technology Services. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have worked in the combustion lab since October 2019 and during my master's degree in 2015. Currently, I am researching combustion of Al and Al alloy powders, ammonium perchlorate decomposition, thermal equilibrium calculations of thermodynamics of combustion. In my career as an engineer, I hope to pursue research on new crystalline materials for load bearing, energy, and communications applications. After graduation I plan to work in the Material Science/Engineering/Research Department of a large private or public organization. I am interested in thin film creation, laser melting methods and am leaning towards semiconductors.

Alan Williams

I was raised partly in Lake Charles, LA and later in Houston, TX. I come from a family of industrial engineers, mechanics, and refinery workers that sparked in me an appreciation and curiosity for the natural mechanical world. This curiosity drove me to study mechanical engineering for my undergraduate degree. I have a younger sister who is currently finishing her master's degree in biochemistry at Texas State University and is also pursuing a career in research. My father works as a software engineering manager in the oil and gas industry and my mother works as an endoscopy nurse. I have interned at the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake as a propulsion research engineer. After undergraduate, I immediately joined the combustion lab and have been pursuing research for 3.5 years. My primary research topic consists of stress-altering aluminum particles in unique ways and measuring or characterizing the reactivity under various environments. Currently, I am studying metallurgical treatments to strengthen aluminum pellet projectiles. I hope to pursue a career in military research to further scientific understanding and develop products to keep our nation safe. After graduation, I plan to search for the right position that aligns with my ambitions as well as settle down to start a family. 

Samantha Knoth

I am from Beavercreek, Ohio. My inspiration for choosing engineering occurred when I was a teenager. I discovered and experienced the power of research during my journey to walking again and it inspired me to pursue engineering. I have an older brother and sister. My mom was a pharmacist, and my dad was an engineer, but now they are retired and run a rental company they started together. At TTU, I am an AT&T Chancellor Fellow and member of the Combustion Laboratory. I have interned as a research engineer intern at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Ohio. Concurrently in 4 years, I earned my bachelor's in chemical engineering and Master of Science in Bioengineering from the University of Dayton graduating in May 2019. I joined the Combustion Laboratory in August 2021. Prior to the Combustion Laboratory, I was a research engineer for the University of Dayton Research Institute at AFRL in Florida and served as the Vice President for the local chapter of the Air Force Women in Science and Engineering (AFWiSE) group for 2021. In my past and current research, I have focused and continued to focus on materials research and development. As an engineer, I hope to pursue career opportunities in technical leadership and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) outreach. After graduation, I plan to relocate for a job that is yet to be determined.  

Colt Cagle

I am from Lubbock, TX. I have always loved science growing up and wanted to be an astrophysicist. Coming into TTU, I asked a few professors in the physics department what their day-to-day looked like. I was told "Coding". Instead, I chose Mechanical Engineering and never looked back! I have an older sister. My Dad is a civil engineer, and my mom teaches spin classes and physical therapy. I used to be the president of ASME, and I have been a part of some other organizations. I have interned at Rocky Mountain Scientific Laboratory, Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program, Sandia National Labs, Pacific Northwest National Lan. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have worked in the combustion lab for almost six years! I am currently researching The High-velocity Impact-ignition Testing System (HITS) is my pride and joy! I love research of all shapes and sizes. In my career, any job in a laboratory would be ideal! After graduation I plan to finally grow up and get a real job. I cannot sustain my lifestyle of fine wines and cheeses without a living wage sadly...

Kelsea Miller

I am from Lubbock, TX. I was fortunate that my high school had a very good STEM program, so moving forward into college choosing STEM was my first go to. I specifically chose mechanical engineering because I wanted to challenge myself and broaden my engineering education to take me anywhere after graduation. I have one older brother, he works at NASA (also ME from TTU). Our parents joke that they don't know where we got it. My mom is a retired teacher (K-2nd) and my dad is a truck driver. I was involved in Alpha omega epsilon (alumna) and TTU WCOE Engineering Ambassadors (2013-2019).  I have had two internships with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Army Research Lab (ARL) at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG). Both internships were under the mentorship of Dr. Chi-Chin Wu of the Detonation Science and Modeling Branch, Weapon Sciences Division, Weapons and Materials Research Directorate. I have a Mechanical Engineering degree in B.S. and M.S. both at TTU. I have worked in the Combustion Lab since  2017, almost five years since July. My research has been focused on surface chemistry that promotes energetic material combustion. A large portion of my work featured core-shell structures of metal fuels that were tailored for specific reactions and my current work is centered upon developing and characterizing new high-energy dense oxidizers. After serving in the Combustion Lab and two internships at ARL definitely confirmed that research has become my passion, and upon graduation I would like to stay within DoD/DoE R&D.

Armando Rezende

I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and grew up in Itaparica da Serra. I chose engineering because of my curiosity and interest in making things work. I have two sisters and one brother. My dad is a lawyer. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have worked in the combustion lab for one year. My first work of research here was characterizing pre-ignition reactions between iodide molecules and aluminum oxide surface; currently I am working with compression and dehydration of AIH, and mechanical sensitivity of ammonium periodate. Everything using density functional theory calculations (DFT). In my career as an engineer, I hope to pursue an exciting job. After graduation, I hope to be happy. 

---

Undergraduates

Ricardo Hernandez

I am a native of San Antonio, Texas and knew I wanted to pursue engineering when I learned about it as a profession while working with my father doing construction in high school. I am the youngest of 4 siblings. My mother is a special education teacher for elementary school students and my father works construction and roofing. I am an active volunteer and mentor for several on-campus service organizations that engage local K-12th grade students through engineering activities. Throughout my college experience, I have tutored high school students and my fellow undergraduates in STEM related subjects alongside being an undergraduate research assistant in the Combustion Lab. In the future, I see myself becoming a professor at the college level and actively involved in research while teaching engineering to the next generation. 

Rebecca Stokes

I moved to Lubbock from the Dallas area, but am originally from Raleigh, North Carolina. I was inspired to choose engineering after completing NASA's Highschool Aerospace Scholars program. I have one younger sister who is a sophomore in high school. My mom currently does not work and is homeschooling my sister, and my dad is a customer experience manager for Bridgestone Americas, Inc. I am an Engineering Ambassador in the Engineering Opportunities Center on campus. I have not had an internship yet but will be working at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo this summer. I have been working in the combustion lab since September 2021. I am currently working on an experiment using Design of Experiment technology to simulate the experimental process for optimizing properties of a formulation that will later be used for additive manufacturing of energetic materials. In my career as an engineer, I hope to continue pursuing opportunities around the focus of nuclear security.  

Joseph Pantoya

I am from Lubbock, Texas. I was inspired to become an engineer by my mother who allowed me to attend demonstrations and presentations of her research. I have three brothers. Both of my parents are professors at Texas Tech. I am currently in ALPFA and ASME as well at TTU Honors College. This summer, 2022, I will be going to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, CA as an intern. I have worked in the Combustion Lab for two semesters. Currently, I am working on studying the decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate in the DSC, synthesizing AIH, and I have worked with HITS in the past. I hope to pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering and from there I plan to pursue a career in research.  

Frank Muniz

I am from Cedar Creek, Texas. The reason I chose engineering was because it just excites me. I have two siblings. My mother is a credit union planner, and my father is a commercial truck driver. Working in the Combustion Lab and I am set to be a part of a Formula One-Style racing team. I have not been a part of any internships in the past. I started recently in the month of January. Research that I am a part of is Laser Induced Air Shock of Energetic Materials experiments, with focus in metal fuel combustion and propellant combustion. To keep an elevated level of standards in the quality of my work no matter the field.  

Travis Wright

I am from Murphy, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Growing up, I always liked taking things apart and figuring out how they worked. I have an older sister who graduated from Texas Tech in 2017 with a bachelor's degree and 2020 with a master's degree. My mother is a QA developer; my father is a patent attorney and retired professional engineer. I have been involved in a few organizations since COVID began, but I would like to get more involved on campus this semester. I was an intern at Idaho National Lab analyzing nuclear fuel data at the Materials and Fuels Complex in the Idaho desert. I have worked in the combustion lab for only a couple of weeks, but I look forward to learning how the lab operates and getting to know everyone else who works there. I am still trying to find a graduate student to shadow at the Combustion Lab, but in the past, I have done undergraduate research on radiation detection and electronics. My long-term goal is to work at a national lab researching modern technologies and materials as an R&D engineer.  

New Mexico Tech

University of California Merced

Amarillo College