DANIEL MARELLA
Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, Class of 2024
Brown University, Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Host Company: Lynk
Daniel is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Brown University, completing concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. As the Project Manager and Structures Lead of Brown Space Engineering, Daniel leads a team of passionate students committed to making space accessible by designing, building, and testing a 3U CubeSat that will launch into space with NASA. He is also a subsystem lead on Brown Formula Racing, as he has a passion for solving complex mechanical and structural problems through mathematical and physical methods. By combining his love for space exploration and desire to solve complex engineering problems, Daniel hopes to be an innovative aerospace engineer and successful industry leader to usher in the next generation of commercial space access.
As a researcher in the Brown University Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Daniel has explored various topics in aerodynamics, from unsteady flapping-wing flight in animals like bats to ground effect destabilization of micro-scale quadrotors. Beneath his passion for space is pure excitement for anything that possesses the ability to tread air and fly. In the Summer of 2023, Daniel interned at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He explored nanosatellites in a new light, contributing to complicated mechanical structures, designing an active attitude control system, and testing novel electric propulsion methods. Through this experience, Daniel’s passion for space technology expanded and solidified his desire to pursue a career in commercial space. In his free time, Daniel enjoys teaching mathematics, weightlifting, long walks, competitive video gaming, playing the clarinet, and machining.