MICHAEL GANOTAKI

Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, Class of 2022

Virginia Tech, Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering
Western University (Canada), Bachelor of Engineering Science in Mechanical Engineering

Host Company: Virgin Galactic

Michael Ganotaki is a first-year graduate student at Virginia Tech pursuing his PhD in aerospace engineering. He received a BESc in mechanical engineering from Western University in Canada, where he led Western’s Rocketry team as the Chief Operating Officer and their CubeSat design team as a mechanical lead. 

Michael has further developed his hands-on experience by interning at companies like SpaceX and Diamond Aircraft, where he has been able to see his designs come to fruition. Currently doing research in the field of computational fluid dynamics, Michael aims to improve the state of fluid solvers and transition this experience into the commercial space industry. He is excited to be a fellow, get involved in commercial space, and hopes to increase accessibility to space. In his free time, Michael enjoys working out, discovering new artists on Spotify, and staying faithful to Manchester United.

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