2025 / Feedback control / Group project
Ball & Plate Stabilization
A two-axis ball-balancing platform combining a printed mechanism, touchscreen position feedback, Arduino control, and a tuned PID model in Simulink.
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mechanical engineer / Aerospace graduate student
James Lee.
Curiosity, put to work.
I’m a Philadelphia-based mechanical engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division through the DoD SMART Scholarship. I’m also pursuing a master’s in aerospace engineering at Villanova.
From rockets and robotics to manufacturing and construction, I enjoy understanding how things work—and taking responsibility for making them work well.
Featured project / Rowan Rocketry / 2025–2026
Night Owl.
Leading a team from the workshop to flight.
My most extensive engineering and leadership project. As team captain, I worked across the rocket’s subsystems and brought the design, analysis, manufacturing, and documentation together for IREC.
- Competition altitude
- 9,416 ft
- Technical report
- Top 10
- Podium selection
- 22 of 140 teams
More of my work
Different problems.
The same curiosity.
Summer 2025 / Manufacturing / Project management
Rocket Lab / SolAero Internship
Supporting solar-cell manufacturing facility upgrades through containment design, simulation, construction packages, project scheduling, and cross-functional coordination.
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2025 / Robotics / Rocket payload
Lil Planty
An autonomous flag-planting rover built inside a 3U payload envelope. Mechanical design, custom electronics, and software developed as one integrated system.
Honorable Mention · Outstanding Craftsmanship
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Spring 2025 / Propulsion / Computational fluid dynamics
Rocket Nozzle CFD
Modeling the AeroTech J350W nozzle in ANSYS Fluent: axisymmetric geometry, iterative meshing, solver development, and a supersonic exhaust plume with shock diamonds.
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February 2025 / Heat transfer / Individual study
Heat Shield Thermal Analysis
A layered heat-shield model connecting an annotated tile design, thermal resistance network, lumped-capacitance calculations, and a transient Simscape simulation.
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2021–2025 / Construction / Digital fabrication
Tri-State: From Model to Job Site
CNC-routed formwork, Tekla concrete models, and an in-house rebar detailing and fabrication process—connecting the drawing, the shop, and the field.
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2024 / Aerodynamics / Team design project
Aerodynamic Car Design
A SolidWorks car designed to maximize downforce relative to drag within class constraints, with integrated aerodynamic features and a four-speed flow-simulation study.
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October 2024 / Fluid mechanics / Individual study
Rocket Fins & Concrete Pumps
Two applications of fluid mechanics: comparing rocket-fin designs with flow simulation, and estimating concrete-pump power and pressure through control-volume analysis.
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2023 / Mechanisms / Group project
Mechanized Arm
A bench-top pick-and-place arm developed through four design phases: payload, gripper, lifting linkage, and a geared rotating base.
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Experience & qualifications
The background
behind the work.
My experience spans ship navigation systems at NSWCPD, aerospace manufacturing at Rocket Lab, and construction at Tri-State. Explore my professional path, education, scholarships, and certifications—and where I’m headed next.
Explore my experience ↗Beyond the portfolio
There’s more to me
than the projects.
I grew up in South Jersey and now call Philadelphia home. Outside work, you’ll find me building and launching rockets, exploring amateur radio, woodworking, or working toward learning to fly. I also make time for golf, the gym, and a good book.
More about me ↗