Lauren S
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Stanford University
Expertise
I have degrees in chemical engineering, earth & planetary science, and aerospace engineering, but my work also intersects mechanical engineering, materials science, and environmental engineering. I welcome opportunities across these fields.
Bio
Hi there! My name is Lauren Simitz. I have been with Polygence ~1.5 years and mentored 10 students through a myriad of research projects including space mission planning, design of more sustainable aircraft, terraforming Mars, aerodynamics of passenger vehicles, energy-efficient ice rinks, and a novel load cell to measure thrust in small-scale solid fuel rockets, to name a few. Education-wise, I'm a 3rd year PhD candidate in Stanford's Aeronautics & Astronautics department. Previously, I received my B.S. in Chemical Engineering (Sustainability Concentration), B.S. in Earth & Planetary Science, and Design Certificate from Northwestern University. That sounds like a lot of degrees, but that best captures my myriad of interest and technical strengths across the aerospace and environmental sectors. Originally a fuel chemistry process engineer at an energy company, I fell in love with designing hardware for space while I was working at SpaceX on the Propulsion and Launch Engineering teams. (Fun Fact: The first launch I ever worked was sending astronauts Bob & Doug up on Demo-2, the first U.S. astronaut mission in 11 years.) However, I missed research and made the decision to go back to school after being with the company a couple of years. Now, my academic research focuses on understanding complex, reacting, and multiphase fluid mechanics so that we can design the next-generation of sustainable propulsion and energy systems. In fact, right now I am a research fellow at Boeing, helping with the propulsion design of commercial aircraft that run on alternative (e.g. green) fuel and with fire safety certification of new aircraft. I am also engaged in projects involving small satellites, life support systems, and resource utilization on planets like Mars. Outside of my research, I enjoy ultimate frisbee, hiking, kayaking, baking, and all things science fiction.Project ideas
Variable Emissivity Thermal Management Panels for Small Satellites
Satellites experience a wide range of temperatures in orbit that can affect the operation of sensitive components. Keeping the temperature inside the satellite constant is thus critical. Having an electronic panel that can change emissivity (how much radiation is absorbed vs. reflected) would provide a low-power, cost-effective, and adaptive (e.g. changing in response to the environment) solution for satellite thermal management.