Mechanical Engineering · Class of 2028

Juan
Romero

Mechanical Engineering student at Georgia Tech working at the intersection of propulsion, fluid systems, and space robotics. Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, Dean's List.

Institution Georgia Institute of Technology
Major Mechanical Engineering
GPA 3.84 / 4.00

About

I'm a Mechanical Engineering student at Georgia Tech with a strong focus on propulsion, fluid systems, and space robotics. My work spans from hands-on fabrication and combustion lab research to leading the mechanical design of a lunar surface rover concept.

I believe great engineering lives at the boundary between rigorous analysis and hands-on making. Whether it's welding a plumbing assembly or writing MATLAB code to quantify nanoscale defects, I push to understand every layer of the systems I build. Outside of engineering, I'm passionate about mentorship and expanding STEM access — most recently as a co-founder of InspiraSTEM in El Salvador.

Portfolio (Click to view presentation)

Experience

Jan 2026 – Present
Component Test Stand Engineer
Yellow Jacket Space Program · Georgia Tech
  • Designed and built a leak-detection testing leg for the testing of various pieces of hardware used in fullscale missions for the Yellow Jacket Space Program.
  • Created P&IDs and physical layouts, optimizing system packaging to integrate seamlessly with the existing test stand.
  • Executed technical sizing for tube diameters and high-mass-flow relief valves, ensuring safe and precise component testing.
  • Fabricated the final assembly, managing component sourcing and adapting interfaces for various port sizes.
Jan 2026 – Present
Mechanical Engineer (Payload)
L'Space Mission Concept Academy
  • Spearheading mechanical design of a robotic lunar surface vehicle in a Pre-Phase A concept study targeting Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) using NX CAD.
  • Directing payload concept development for a <150 kg, $150M, 1.5 m³ rover to characterize lunar volatiles for Artemis exploration, collaborating across engineering and science teams.
Nov 2025 – Present
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory · Georgia Tech
  • Supporting Pratt & Whitney-sponsored research on fluid systems for high-altitude turbine ignition testing on auxiliary power units.
  • Developing experience in flow control, plumbing design, component integration, welding, and more for propulsion and aviation applications.
Jul 2025 – Dec 2025
Mechanical and Software Engineer
RoboJackets · Georgia Tech
  • Designed and fabricated high-speed mechanical systems for a 500 g autonomous robot under strict dimensional constraints using DFM and GD&T practices.
  • Collaborated on ROS development in Python, implementing features to enhance robot control and performance through data-driven testing.
May 2025 – Jul 2025
Materials Engineer Intern
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
  • Analyzed material properties and surface defects using SEM, XPS, and Confocal Microscopy in niobium samples used in particle accelerators.
  • Optimized niobium using oxidation processes to reduce surface carbides by 20%, improving energy efficiency.
  • Developed MATLAB and Python analysis code to quantify nanoscale defects and validate material quality.
May 2023 – Aug 2023
Research Intern
MIT Media Lab
  • Applied machine learning techniques to analyze behavioral and linguistic data for mental health assessments.
  • Built a multimodal pipeline tracking facial features and their dynamics across 3-minute video clips, including custom parameters for smiling frequency and speech tone.

Relevant Coursework

ME 2016
Computing for Engineers
Programming fundamentals for engineering applications. Covers problem-solving, algorithms, data structures, and numerical methods using Python and MATLAB.
MSE 2001
Principles & Applications of Engineering Materials
Structure-property relationships in engineering materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Covers processing, microstructure, and failure analysis.
COE 2001
Statics
Equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, analysis of structures including trusses, frames, and machines. Distributed forces, friction, and virtual work.
MATH 2552
Differential Equations
Analytical and numerical solution methods with applications in modeling. First- and second-order equations, systems, Laplace transforms, stability, and numerical techniques.
MATH 1553
Linear Algebra
Systems of equations, matrices, vector spaces, and linear transformations. Eigenvalues, eigenvectors, orthogonality, and applications in data modeling.

Skills

Programming & Data

Python MATLAB LaTeX SQL JavaScript TypeScript Java PyTorch

CAD & Mechanical

SolidWorks NX CAD AutoDesk Inventor OnShape 3D Modeling 3D Printing FEA DFM Thermal Analysis

Fabrication & Testing

Welding Plumbing Design Prototyping GD&T SEM / XPS Confocal Microscopy

Software & Platforms

Git GitHub Linux VS Code ROS macOS / Windows

Goals

Build systems that reach space

My long-term ambition is to contribute to propulsion and spacecraft systems that operate at the edge of what's possible — from high-performance rocket engines to the fluid and thermal systems that keep them running.

Deepen research in propulsion & fluids

Through ongoing work at the Combustion Lab and YJSP, I want to build a rigorous foundation in propulsion research — understanding combustion physics, fluid dynamics, and high-pressure system design from first principles.

Lead cross-disciplinary engineering

The most interesting problems sit between disciplines. I want to grow as an engineer who can bridge mechanical design, software systems, and mission architecture — as I'm doing now with the L'Space lunar rover concept.

Expand STEM access internationally

As a co-founder of InspiraSTEM, I've seen what mentorship can unlock. I want to keep building programs that connect students in underrepresented communities — especially in Latin America — to opportunities in engineering and science.