Ryan J. Mattana Aerospace Engineer

Flight Computer / Portfolio v.2027

Ryan J. Mattana Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Building at the intersection of computational aerodynamics, precision fabrication, and flight.

View Flight Log (Projects) Download Resume
FOCA Private Pilot License (Swiss) — Single Engine Piston, VFR
3,600× MDO speedup
65 hrs Logged flight

[ 01 ] About

A dual-citizen engineer focused on high-performance optimization.

Mechanical engineering student at Rice University specializing in aerospace. I work where computation, fabrication, and flight meet — writing differentiable design tools, running CFD, machining hardware, and flying the result.

  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rice University — aerospace concentration.
  • Recipient of the Rice Best Aerospace Technology Award.
  • Dual-citizen engineer (U.S. / Belgium), native English & French.
  • Focused on high-performance optimization across simulation, hardware, and flight ops.
Institution Rice University
Degree B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation May 2027
Citizenship U.S. Citizen / Belgian Citizen
Coursework Aerospace Propulsion · Orbital Mechanics · Statistics · Financial Accounting

[ 03 ] Featured Projects · Flight Log

Three projects at the intersection of math, machines, and altitude.

PRJ-001

eVTOL MDO Tool

Differentiable design optimization for SAE Advanced

Python multidisciplinary design optimization tool that sizes an eVTOL aircraft inside hard stability bounds. Automatic differentiation collapses an overnight sweep into seconds.

Python MDO Auto-diff SolidWorks AIAA
3,600× speedup vs. prior team
99.97% runtime reduction
Auto-diff gradient backbone
PRJ-002

Femtosecond-Laser Ablation Research

U.S. Army–sponsored, Prof. Stephen Tse, Rutgers

Reconfigured a laboratory 3D printer into a TiO₂ nanoparticle synthesis testbed, then rewrote the data layer so analysis kept up with the laser.

Research Python Polars Optical Hardware 3D Printing
TiO₂ nanoparticle testbed
30% runtime reduction
Polars from pandas
PRJ-003

Flight Experience

Private Pilot — SEP, VFR (issued Geneva, 2021)

65 hours of logged flight time, 20 of them as Pilot in Command in a Piper PA-28. The hardware-and-weather half of every aerospace problem.

VFR ATC METAR / TAF Weight & Balance
65 hrs total flight time
20 hrs Pilot in Command
PA-28 Piper SEP

[ 04 ] Experience · Reverse Chronological

Five years across cockpits, fab labs, and Fortune 500 data rooms.

Sep 2023 – Present Houston, TX 3,600× MDO speedup

Rice Flight Club / AIAA

Aerodynamics Lead, American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics

Aircraft design, eVTOL optimization, CFD, fabrication, and AIAA conference leadership.

  • Developed a Python MDO tool leveraging automatic differentiation to size eVTOL aircraft within stability bounds for SAE advanced competition; ~3,600× speedup (99.97% runtime reduction).
  • Delivered aerodynamic performance reports including L/D, Cm–α, and static margin; modeled updated configurations in SolidWorks for integration with propulsion and structures teams.
  • Created a scoring function to maximize lift/drag ratio, minimize stall speed, and reduce sink rate.
  • Used ANSYS Fluent for CFD analysis of external payload and propeller downwash effects in a low Reynolds environment.
  • Collaborated with manufacturing to prototype carbon-fiber, resin, laser-cut, and 3D-printed airframe components.
  • Student Leader for the AIAA Regional Conference — a 250-person event with keynote speakers.
Sep 2025 – Present Houston, TX Full-stack fabrication

Rice Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen

Lab Technician

Fabrication lab work across laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC, waterjet, and traditional machining.

  • Built hands-on expertise with laser cutters, 3D printers (ABS & PLA), CNC milling, waterjet systems, traditional machining tools, and digital embroidery.
  • Supported everyday laboratory use for classes, senior design projects, and extracurricular clubs.
Jun 2025 – Aug 2025 New Brunswick, NJ 30% pipeline runtime cut

Rutgers University

Undergraduate Research Intern under Prof. Stephen Tse

Optical hardware, U.S. Army-sponsored laser ablation research, and Python/HTML experiment tooling.

  • Designed and 3D-printed optical-mount hardware to reconfigure a lab 3D printer for U.S. Army-sponsored femtosecond-laser ablation research.
  • Enabled a reliable TiO₂ nanoparticle synthesis testbed and reduced swapover time.
  • Built a lightweight Python/HTML interface to plan and run experiments.
  • Migrated a data pipeline from pandas to polars, lowering runtime by 30% and automating file conversion.
Jun 2024 – Aug 2024 New York, NY $21M audited · 40% SOP reduction

Pfizer

Business Information Management Intern

Clinical-trial data migration, SOP streamlining, and Excel automation for the BIM team.

  • Helped audit $21 million to migrate confidential clinical-trial data from acquisitions into Pfizer's internal database.
  • Maintained accurate department-level metrics for actual and budgeted figures used by decision makers.
  • Streamlined company-wide SOPs by reducing word count by 40%, accelerating roll-out for business teams.
  • Used Excel to automate tracking of key scientists' clearances to protect intellectual property.
Issued Feb 2021 Geneva, Switzerland 65 hrs · 20 hrs PIC

Private Pilot's License

Single Engine Piston, Visual Flight Rules

65 flight hours, Piper PA-28, ATC communication, weather briefings, and full systems knowledge.

  • Accumulated 65 hours of flight time and 20 hours as Pilot in Command in a Piper PA-28.
  • Managed ATC radio communication, weight & balance, METAR/TAF weather briefings, and flight plans.
  • Learned hydraulic, surface, and electrical systems and completed emergency training for mechanical failures.
  • One of the youngest pilot graduates in flight school history.

[ 05 ] Lateral Interests · Discipline & Reflex

What I do when I'm not at a CAD seat or in the cockpit.

President, Rice Boxing Club Discipline
Ironman Contestant Endurance
Marathon Runner Endurance
Top 500 Overwatch Player Reflex
Will Rice Bike Team Endurance
Rice Undergraduate Investment Fund Quant

[ 06 ] Contact · Comms Open

Open to opportunities in aerospace, mechanical design, and data-driven problem solving.

Feel free to reach out about internships, research, fabrication projects, or anything that flies. I read every message.

Download Resume Send Email