The Story & Achievements
As the Treasurer for Villanova's CubeSat Satellite Team, I managed the crucial financial infrastructure that enabled our projects to get off the ground—literally. Beyond the budget, I also took on a significant engineering leadership role, spearheading our data-gathering weather balloon project.
Leading the weather balloon initiative required cross-disciplinary collaboration. The balloon was specifically designed to launch into the atmosphere to gather vital environmental data and capture POV imagery from high altitudes. I guided the team through the process of designing the payload housing, ensuring our electronic data-gathering components were safely secured and operational during flight.
On the financial side, I meticulously managed the club's budget. This involved projecting costs, balancing expenditures for specialized aerospace components, and planning all expenses for our events and launch logistics. By keeping our finances strictly organized, I ensured that both the weather balloon and the broader satellite development progressed smoothly without monetary roadblocks.
Key Financial & Engineering Roles
- Weather Balloon Lead: Directed the design, assembly, and launch of a high-altitude data-gathering weather balloon, capturing atmospheric data and aerial imagery.
- Financial Management & Budgeting: Served as Club Treasurer, actively planning costs, managing event expenses, and allocating budget for expensive aerospace components to keep the team well-funded and operational.
- Design & Fabrication: Contributed to the physical builds by using SolidWorks to model and 3D print structural prototypes, ensuring our payload enclosures could withstand extreme atmospheric conditions.
