Executive Board
Meet our student leaders
Setekh Karaismailoglu
President
Setekh is a master's student in Mechanical Engineering. Starting on the structures team of Rocket Lander Testbed, and later switching to the Propulsion team, Setekh has been working on the modeling and testing of Nephas over the last three years. In the second term of presidency, Setekh hopes to put SEDS UCSD in the forefront of collegiate rocketry by successfully testing and launching a reusable engine on both the Halya and Riptide vehicles. Outside of SEDS, Setekh enjoys discovering new places to get coffee. Having completed prior internships at Ursa Major Technologies and Solar Turbines, Setekh specializes in turbomachinery design and analysis.
Swetha Chidambara Ganesh
Vice President of Operations
Swetha is a 2nd year Aerospace Engineering student, joining SEDS as a propellent feed systems engineer for Halya and a member of the SEDSxFEM mentorship group. Swetha is excited to continue to the manufacturing and testing phase for Halya’s GSE (Ground Support Equipment) and plumbing systems. As the VP of Operations, Swetha hopes to continue improving operational plans as testing and launching season approach for both Halya and Riptide vehicles. Outside of SEDS, Swetha enjoys painting, bouldering, and exploring new places.
Ethan Quan
Vice President of Engineering
Ethan is a 4th-year Mechanical Engineering student with a strong focus on advanced aero-mechanical design and composite materials. He joined SEDS as a Structures Engineer for Halya, where he led the development of the airframe and championed the use of composite structures and iterative design optimization. As Vice President of Engineering, Ethan oversees SEDS’ five project teams, targeting launch campaigns for both Halya and Riptide this academic year. Additionally, he is leading initiatives to publish student-led research and provide technical and professional development for members. His previous experience includes an internship at SpaceX on the Falcon Composites team and as an Instructional Assistant for MAE 20 (Elements of Material Science).
Omeed Shahhosseini
Director of Electrical Engineering
Omeed, a 4th-year Mechanical Engineering major specializing in controls and robotics, joined our Rocket Lander Testbed team as a member of the fluid systems and propulsion design teams. He assumed the role of project manager during the 2022-23 academic year. As the Vice President of Engineering, he will oversee our projects as they enter verification testing over the next year.
Madeline Phelps
Director of Internal Affairs
Madeline is a 4th-year Aerospace Engineering student with a focus in astrodynamics and space applications. She joined SEDS as a member of SEDSxFEMxTR and a structural engineer for Halya. She then went on to Co-lead the third and fourth cohorts of FEM achieving a robust partnership with Triton Racing and increasing application rates by 200%. Now, she serves as the recovery system lead for Halya in addition to Director of Internal Affairs and hopes to contribute technical knowledge from internships at Collins Aerospace and JPL in addition to improving peer to peer communication within the org.
Dave Boisie Laygo
Director of External Affairs
Dave is a 4th-year Aerospace Engineering student specializing in astrodynamics and space applications. Joining SEDS as a structural engineer for the methane rocket Halya, he led the design and development of the dual-cryogenic common bulkhead propellant tank. Having completed internships at Collins Aerospace and ANYg BIO from his received mentorship and experience in SEDS, he now serves as the Director of External Affairs hoping to help members attain similar opportunities by strengthening the organization’s connections with alumni and industry partners. With this platform, he also strives to inspire and facilitate STEM engagement to the local San Diego communities and their K-12 programs.
Iris Hochwalt
Director of Business and Finance
Iris is a 2nd-year NanoEngineering student who intends to minor in French Literature. She joined SEDS as a propulsion engineer specializing in solid propulsion and as a member of SEDSxFEMxTR. As Director of Business and Finance, they work to ensure that every project has the funding needed to succeed. Outside of SEDS, Iris volunteers in the Nanomedicine and Nanomaterials Laboratory (Zhang Research Group) as an undergraduate research assistant and enjoys dabbling in the arts, from knitting to embroidery to watercolors to baking to making music.