Team
Meet our team of engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
Principal Investigator
Thomas C. Underwood
Assistant Professor
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
The University of Texas at Austin
B.S. Nuclear Engineering & Physics, University of Florida, 2014
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2019
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
Tom Underwood is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and was a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry at Harvard University. His research lies at the intersection of plasma physics, fluid mechanics, and chemistry. He is interested in understanding how the chemistry and dynamics of plasmas can be leveraged to address challenges in space, propulsion, and the synthesis of clean and environmentally sustainable fuels. He is a recipient of numerous distinctions including the AFOSR Young Investigator Award and the NASA Early Career Faculty Award.
Google Scholar | Curriculum Vitae |
Postdoctoral Researchers
Ph.D. RWTH Aachen University (2023)
Ph.D. Students
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, (2025)
B.Tech+M.Tech Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kharagpur (2022)
B.S. Physics, UW Madison (2021)
B.S. Physics and Mechanical Engineering, University of San Diego (2022)
B.S. Integrated Engineering, Washington and Lee University (2025)
Master’s Students
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin (2023)
Undergraduate Students
Alumni
Charan Nallapareddy (2025, PhD) - Lam Research
Ethan Horstman (2025, MS) - Aerojet Rocketdyne
Harsha Rajesh (2024, BS) - Stanford PhD
Jacob Neal (2024, Postdoc) - Blue Origin
Keshav Prathivadi (2023, MS) - Boeing
Sankarsh Rao (2023, BS) - MIT Aero/Astro PhD