Who We Are

The Collegiate Space Foundation is an organization founded with the focus of accelerating the development of engineering students and supplementing modern education with the design and assembly of space systems. Our members have contributed towards the advancement of space technologies such as rovers and satellites resulting in strengthened, industry demanded skills. CSF is designed to facilitate the growth of engineers and scientists of all skill levels. Resources which enable our rapid learning curve include discipline specific training and small project workshops. As we progress as individuals of a collective movement towards increasing accessibility to space, our members have been awarded impactful internships at NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and General Electric. We know you have what it takes to influence the aerospace industry. We will be the launchpad for your bright career.

Officers

Manuel Hernandez

My name is Manuel Hernandez and I I am on the Board of Advisors for CSF! I am a Junior at UCF majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Material Science and Engineering. I am super passionate about space technology and any topic that has to do with Lunar Economy, and am fascinated with Material Science which stemmed from historic innovations like the production of the SR-71 and the implementations of Aluminum in modern Aviation. I lead this years NASA Big Idea Challenge 2022 team and am always finding ways to improve CSF from the background and implementing new projects.

Aref Abdala

Hello! My name is Aref Abdala and I am an Aerospace Engineering major at UCF! I am a junior and acting Vice-President of the Collegiate Space Foundation. In my freshman year summer I was a X-force Fellow with the National Security Innovation Network where I worked with the U.S. Marine Corp. on additive manufacturing initiatives and this past summer I interned at Raytheon Intelligence and Space in Aurora, Colorado as a Junior Systems Intern. I am really into music, 3D printing, and satellites!! If you have any questions feel free to reach out!

Austin Burden

Austin Burden is one of the first members to get involved in the Collegiate Space Foundation. As President, it has been his goal to increase ease of access to engineering developmental resources. His vision for the Collegiate Space foundation is to create a tool that produces talent which will be instrumental in the implementation of a cis-lunar economy. ith research and teaching as a couple of his passions, CSF has enabled him to grow as an engineer by sharing the resources which transformed him from an unexperienced student to an intern at NextEra Energy, NASA, and Astranis.

Jakob Germann

Hi there! My name is Jakob Germann. I'm a senior computer science student focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics systems and the developer of this website. I serve as an organization and technical advisor to the rest of the Board of Advisors and seek to help the members of the club develop their skills so they can one day become the next leaders that will propel this club into excellence. I have a passion for programming space-related technologies like satellite sensors, exploratory rovers, and other incredible feats of engineering. My time with the club has allowed me to give back to the UCF community as best I can and I hope to continue doing so long after I graduate.