Dayton Engineer

Not everyday does a student get to leave UD with a diploma and their name as first author on a patent. But for mechanical engineering senior Julian Pabon, it’s reality.

Pabon’s interest in engineering started with an early interest in robotics and seeing his father’s daily activities at work.

“I got into engineering because of my dad, who’s an engineer,” Pabon said. “It started in high school when I got involved in programs that introduced me to machinery, 3D printers and 3D modeling software. I joined the Robotics Club and realized that engineering was what I wanted to do.”

This early interest led Pabon to explore more about aerospace engineering after learning about SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. His curiosity was piqued, and he spent his summer diving deep into aerospace topics — during a time when he usually would have preferred to be away from schoolwork.

“I love the summertime because I don't have to do anything, definitely not schoolwork, and then here I am, like waking up at like 9am during my summer like going to my computer just to learn more,” Pabon said. “From that point on, I had that connection, where I really found my passion in aerospace engineering.”

Pabon’s engineering interests grew once he became a Flyer. After speaking with recent doctoral graduate Jacky Cai about becoming involved with research in the Wind Tunnel, he joined the research team the summer after his first year. Since then, he’s never stopped.

“I love the research environment because it’s unpredictable. You don’t always know the answers, and that’s exciting,” Pabon said. “So now we're looking into things that nobody really has the answer for immediately, or at least not very many people do. We're in charge of finding great answers.”

His research journey continued with a focus on morphing wing technology — a concept that allows wings to change shape for better aerodynamics. Pabon, along with another undergraduate student, Cai and Dr. Sid Gunasekaran, recently secured a provisional patent for their innovative design, which they developed using 3D printing technology. They will continue building out their idea and collaborating with UD experts in business and patents this fall.

“The idea for the patent came after we saw our wing design successfully working,” Pabon said. “It was interesting to transition from designing something purely for research to considering its potential as a consumer product. We now have to look at things like weight, material cost and fabrication.”

Associate professor Dr. Gunasekaran, or Sid as his students call him, has played a key role in growing Pabon’s research interests — and helping him find opportunities to do so.

“I think it's very rare for you to find a professor that not only can help you but also cares about you,” Pabon said. The connection me and other students have with Sid is important to us. He cares about your work. He cares that you're doing well. He's gonna make sure that you're not publishing something that's going to embarrass you later in life and that you’re publishing good work.”

As he nears the end of his undergraduate studies and prepares to pursue a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at UD, Pabon is keeping his future career options open. Whether in academia or industry, Pabon is eager to continue exploring how he can make a personal impact on aerospace.

“I’ve definitely learned that I have a passion for research,” Pabon said. “Whether it’s academic or in an industry setting, I enjoy the process of discovery. I'm hoping that during my master's program I can delve more into aerospace and see what particular area I want to pursue.”