Tanya Vijay 
(she/her)

  • Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2026

  • Purdue University, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, ‘28

  • Mentor: TBD

  • Brookie Mentor: TBD

Tanya Vijay is a sophomore at Purdue University, pursuing a major in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering with a minor in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Deeply passionate about space exploration, spacecraft design and propulsion, she has dedicated her undergraduate career to hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, and research in aerospace.

Currently, Tanya serves as the Project Manager for the Purdue Space Program’s High Altitude team. In this role, she leads the development of a two-stage reusable composite solid rocket aimed at reaching an altitude of 100,000 feet, launching June 2026. She also works at Zucrow Laboratories, where she works as a researcher developing and characterizing energetics for High Explosive 3D Printing. Additionally, Tanya is currently collaborating with the Purdue Applied Research Institute to design a student-developed hypersonic vehicle carrying a scientific payload. Previously, she participated in the NASA L’SPACE Mission Concept Academy, designing an autonomous rover intended to explore lunar lava pits and collect scientific data to assess their habitability. In partnership with Pratt & Whitney, she also modeled internally bladed rotors for vibrational analysis and performance optimization.

Beyond her technical work, Tanya is a strong advocate for female empowerment and STEM education. She serves on the board of Purdue Women in Aerospace, where she develops technical programs and builds resources to support the professional growth of women in the industry. Her commitment to equitable STEM education also extends to policy. As a Paragon Policy Fellow, she partnered with the U.S. Virgin Islands Next Generation Network to create modernized STEM curricula, educator training frameworks, and actionable policy recommendations to drive long-term institutional growth.

In her free time, Tanya enjoys watching movies, baking, and spending time with friends. She is honored to be selected for the Brooke Owens Fellowship Class of 2026 and to join an incredible network of innovators in the aerospace industry!