Eleven roles across aerospace, maritime, medical devices, robotics and research — most of them shipping real hardware.
NASA TechLeap Prize · 2026 Winner
Guinn Partners · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering — IMPRESS Mars Penetrator Program
NASA TechLeap Prize, Space Technology Payload Challenge
- Contributed to the drone-based release mechanism used to free-fall test penetrator aerodynamic stability, and assembled the penetrator test articles ahead of each drop.
- Upscaled the dropper from a single-penetrator to a six-penetrator payload configuration, supporting IMPRESS's swarm-deployment mission architecture.
- Lengthened the penetrators' UHF beacon antennas and reinforced coax-cable retention so telemetry hardware survives ground impact intact.
6×Penetrator dropper
~1,300–1,600 ftTest drop altitude
IMPRESS — Iterative Mars Penetrator for Subsurface Science — is Guinn Partners' entry addressing NASA's "Navigation Sensors for Precision Landing" shortfall, and a 2026 winner of NASA's TechLeap Prize Space Technology Payload Challenge. The technology supports low-cost, swarm-deployable penetrator networks for Mars subsurface science and astrobiology, and is described in a peer-reviewed astrobiology paper co-authored by Guinn Partners' Head of Engineering, Mitchell Richburg.
Guinn Partners · Ascendant AI · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering Intern — WaveDrone Platform
Autonomous Maritime Vessel Program
- Contributes to mechanical design work on an autonomous maritime vessel platform.
- Supports prototyping and testing efforts for the system.
- Produces manufacturing drawings for platform components.
Guinn Partners operates as part of Ascendant AI, an Austin-based drone engineering, manufacturing, and NDAA-focused product platform.
Guinn Partners · Ascendant AI · Austin, TX · 2026
Engineering Intern — UAV Aircraft Project, DZYNE Technologies
DfM & LRIP Support Program
- Participated directly in the buildout and prototyping of complex assembly fixturing for an unmanned aerial vehicle.
- Laid out intricate flex-cable paths to keep system integration clean and reliable.
- Generated precise manufacturing drawings for individual components to streamline production.
Part of Guinn Partners' design-for-manufacturing and low-rate-initial-production support engagement with DZYNE Technologies — the aircraft, production, and outcome are DZYNE's; published with DZYNE's approval via Ascendant AI.
Guinn Partners · Ascendant AI · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering Intern — MoonTower DAQ Qualification
MoonTower Fleet Intelligence
- Building a water-flow test stand to qualify a custom DAQ board against real sensor and actuation signals — pressure transducers, thermocouples, strain gauges, a turbine flow meter, and solenoid/pneumatic valve control.
- Implementing hardware-level safety interlocks (key-switch arming, E-stop, redundant overpressure protection) that function independently of the DAQ software.
- Cross-validating sensor channels against each other — redundant pressure transducers, a dual-thermocouple pair, and a hoop/axial strain-gauge pair — to characterize DAQ accuracy before deployment.
Guinn Partners · Ascendant AI · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering — Modular FPV UAS
For 526 Solutions
- Redesigns third-party FPV frame geometry for manufacturability, then produces frames from carbon-fiber sheet stock on CNC equipment.
- Designs and 3D-prints payload-mount hardware for the platform's training-effects payload suite (flashbang and inert training-grenade props), used in simulated-adversary red-cell training exercises.
- Took in incoming CAD and print files for a multi-material frame/component production run, then split the remaining production work with a colleague to manage the workload.
Ascendant AI is developing the Modular FPV UAS — requirement, design, and build plan — for 526 Solutions, a U.S. Special Operations-focused training and equipment provider. Program status: in development.
Guinn Partners · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering — Endotracheal Tube
Client Engagement — Concept to Final Design
- Contributes to mechanical design work, helping take the client's initial concept toward a finalized design.
- Supports prototyping and testing by resin-printing different design variations and evaluating how different resins hold their elasticity.
- Produces manufacturing drawings for components.
Guinn Partners · Austin, TX · 2026 – Present
Engineering — Okrabot
Automated Okra-Harvesting Robot
- Assembled the chassis frame that the robotic picking arm traverses along while harvesting okra.
UT Austin ECE · Austin, TX · 2024 – Present
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Additive Manufacturing Research — under Prof. Michael Becker
- Runs atomic strain analysis on Al₂O₃ particles using supercomputer simulation data.
- Visualizes strain and simulation results in MATLAB for the research group.
NASA HUNCH · Houston, TX · 2023 – 2024
Intern — 3D-Printed Medical Devices
Biomedical Project
- Studied how to sanitize 3D-printed medical instruments after use in flight-relevant conditions.
- Developed a method to recycle printed instruments into new ones, cutting waste and material carried to orbit.
NASA HUNCH · Houston, TX · 2022 – 2023
Intern — Lunar Scooter Wheels
Prototype Project
- Developed front and rear wheels for an electric lunar scooter, tuned for astronaut travel speeds near 1 m/s — far faster than typical rover wheels.
- Designed tread geometry suited to higher-speed lunar surface travel.
Hernandez Farms · Brownsville, TX · 2018 – Present
Foreman
Hernandez Farms
- Maintains facilities, ranch records, and documentation; handles invoices for bills, sales, and supplies.
- Inspects and repairs equipment for livestock and crop management, and monitors herd health.