My name is Rafael Meza, and I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park pursuing an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. My research focuses on developing sensor networks for optical interrogation of aerothermodynamic effects on aerodynamic structures. For my thesis, I am designing a multi-sensor fusion system to enable real-time structural performance predictions in hypersonic environments, in collaboration with UMD’s Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Departments and supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. I earned my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida State University and was an active member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. I previously interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where I worked as a Robotic Hardware Engineering Intern testing actuators under extreme environmental conditions.