Undergraduate Research Assistants

Abigail Andrews is a senior Aerospace Engineering student from Troy, TX with a deep-rooted passion for aviation. A licensed pilot since January 2021, she earned her instrument rating in 2023 and plans to complete her commercial rating following graduation. Since joining VSCL in 2023, she has developed a strong interest in flight testing, particularly enjoying post-processing and analyzing flight data. Andrews is excited to continue advancing her love for aviation through hands-on flight research.

Ishaan Bansal is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with Engineering Honors Texas A&M University. He is also minoring in computer science and entrepreneurship and expects to graduate in December 2027. He is interested in dynamics, controls, and space systems, and is currently a member of the Avionics subteam on the Rocket Engine Design Team. His broader goals include integrating software and hardware to solve complex aerospace challenges, both in industry and through future entrepreneurial efforts.
After joining VSCL in Spring of 2025, he is working on applying imitation learning and reinforcement learning to autonomous flight systems, with a focus on real-time control and decision-making. He also contributes to ongoing hexacopter research, supporting navigation and control development. His work at the lab reflects his passion for autonomy, machine learning, and the future of intelligent aerospace systems.

Allison Barnes has been a member of VSCL since her freshman year (Fall 2023). She is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Engineering Project Management. She is also part of the Zachry Leadership Program. In addition to her work with VSCL, she is a team lead in AggieSat Laboratory, and an active member of the Student Engineers’ Council. She interned at Gulfstream Aerospace in Summer 2025 as a Flight Test and Operations Engineer. Allison has also received her Private Pilots License.

Laura Escamilla is a sophomore specializing in Applied Mathematics Computational Science and has been an active member of VSCL since Spring 2022. Laura possesses hands-on experience, having actively participated in multiple test flights in handling small fixed-wing aircraft at RELLIS. In addition, Laura interned at VSCL in summer 0f 2023 where she worked using Vector Nav technology to calibrate servos on small fixed-wing vehicles. Laura also had testing at Texas A&M University Oran W. Nick Low-Speed Wind Tunnel, where she got to experience a real-world testing environment. With a profound interest in Computer Science, flight testing, and embedded systems, she consistently seeks opportunities to bridge theory and application.

Gabriel Eskridge is a class of 2026 Engineering major hoping to pursue Aerospace Engineering. He has been an active member of VSCL since Fall of 2022 working on the Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project.

Christian Flewelling is a class of 2026 Engineering major studying Mechatronics. He joined VSCL in the Fall of 2023, working on embedded systems for the Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project. Outside of the VSCL, Christian is an officer for the Texas A&M University Robotics Team and Leadership Experience robotics club.

Adam Glaesmann is a Senior pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering and has been an active member of VSCL since the Spring of 2023. His current work with VSCL is in creating a graphical user interface (GUI) for communicating with a flight vehicle from a ground station computer. He enjoys working with computer systems and the exposure to the types of problem solving that working in the lab brings, which is not typically seen in the classroom. In his free time likes to go rock climbing.

Bella Grayson is a sophomore Aerospace Engineering student from Washington. Bella’s interest in aerospace engineering sparks from her fathers involvement in the US Air Force as a pilot. As a member of VSCL she has analyzed wind tunnel data for the RMRC Anaconda, a fixed wing sUAS platform used on the System Identification and Target Tracking projects. She is excited to get more involved with flight testing on the CAAMS and KAMS projects.

Leron Gundlur is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with Engineering Honors. He is also minoring in Mathematics. Leron attended VSCL staff meetings throughout the Fall ‘23 semester and joined VSCL as an Undergraduate Researcher from Spring ‘24. He has been deeply passionate about aviation from a young age and is an avid flight simulation enthusiast. Leron is actively researching multiple time scale control theory for applications related to aerospace vehicles. Outside the lab, Leron also researches astrodynamics and trajectory determination. Leron plans to pursue a PhD in Aerospace Engineering after finishing his Bachelor degree in December 2025. Post-graduation he is interested in working on air and space systems and further exploration of the Solar System and Milky Way.

Kylie Johannes is a senior mechatronics engineering student with minors in mathematics and embedded systems