Anushka Tahiliani
Research Assistant
BACKGROUND
I was born and raised in California and received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Finance from the University of Southern California. During my undergraduate studies, I worked on the USC Design/Build/Fly team, conducted research on the design and wind tunnel testing of SMA-actuated morphing wings, and built on both my research and finance background for my honors thesis, “SWIFT: Advancing Public Safety through UAV Surveillance,”which explored the commercialization and operational integration of UAV systems for public safety applications. Outside of research, I enjoy hunting for great flavored lattes and heading to the closest beach — in New England, Newport has quickly become a favorite for both.
RESEARCH
I am currently pursuing my S.M. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics in the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory. My research focuses on integrated aircraft–trajectory modeling and multidisciplinary design optimization for advanced and electrified aircraft in collaboration with NASA and Electra.aero. Specifically, I am developing robust thermodynamic cycle modeling and integrated computational frameworks using pyCycle, OpenMDAO, and Aviary/Dymos to enable tightly coupled engine–aircraft–mission optimization, including propulsion system sizing and performance, power-split optimization for electrified aircraft, and aircraft-level trade studies across architectures ranging from turbofans to turbogenerators. My interests include aerodynamics, aircraft design, and air-breathing propulsion.