The Team Leads

Sebastian Meza
Email: sdm233@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: New York City, NY

Amelia Kovacs
Email: ajk296@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Groton, MA
Hardware Sub-Team
The Hardware sub-team designs and manufactures the boat’s electromechanical system. This involves doing CAD and ECAD, running simulations, machining, working with composites, working with power tools, soldering and assembling electrical components, among other technical skills. Members of the hardware team gain a lot of valuable hands-on experience, while also being able to apply concepts learned in class to their work during the design process.
Subteam Lead

Slava Koblov
Email: sk3328@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Subteam Lead

Ben Melcher
Email: brm99@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Manufacturing Lead

Hunter Capner
Email: hvc6@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Mount Ephraim, NJ

Audrey Sackey
Email: aas332@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: ECE
Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Benjamin Malekan
Email: bm529@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Long Island, NY

Zi Liang
Email: zl348@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: ECE
Hometown: New York, NY

Grace Tang
Email: gjt29@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD

Henry Geller
Email: hng8@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: ECE
Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Michelle Yu
Email: mjy34@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Boston, MA

Will Natcharian
Email: wrn25@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Avon, CT

Rajarshi Das
Email: rd496@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Mechanical Engineering/ECE
Westbury, NY

Alison Mangano
Email: atm72@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Chemistry
Hometown: San Jose, CA

Sahara Shahab
Email: sbs293@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Brooklyn, NY
Software Sub-Team
The Software team is responsible for researching, developing, and testing all computer programs which enable the boat to operate autonomously. This includes building computer vision systems, implementing AI-driven navigation and control algorithms, designing microcontroller software, integrating different processes through ROS, and developing simulation frameworks for testing. Members on Software are primarily CS and ECE majors with interdisciplinary interests, a passion for innovation, and dedication to see their projects through. Applicants for this sub-team don’t need to have experience with robotics, but ideally can effectively demonstrate their interests and passion to learn about new technologies through research and hands-on experience.
Subteam Lead

Taha Jafry
Email: taj43@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Houston, TX
Subteam Lead

Kevin Cui
Email: kc734@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Village Elder

Eric Zhang
Email: ewz4@cornell.edu
Year: 2023
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: College Station, TX

William Chiang
Email: wc475@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Miami, FL

David Schultz
Email: dms489@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Ossining, NY

Giorgi Berndt
Email: gb449@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Computer Science, Economics
Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Henry Gao
Email: ag836@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Albany, NY

Rachael Close
Email: rlc355@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Albany, NY

Joanna Lin
Email: jl2748@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Bronx, NY

Jeffrey Xiang
Email: jjx5@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Sharon, MA

Jeremy Zarge
Email: jz642@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Boston, MA

Carter Zhu
Email: yz553@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Daniel Wong
Email: djw329@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY

Samuel Park
Email: sp994@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Melville, NY

Grace Kim
Email: gsk68@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Princeton, NJ

Josue Ortiz
Email: jdo57@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Long Island, NJ

Joanna Andrews
Email: jd242@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Albany, NY

Ireanne Cao
Email: ixc3@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Biomedical Engineering / CS
Hometown: West Windsor, NJ

Arthi Vijayakumar
Email: av439@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: CS
Hometown: Sharon, MA

Kaitlyn Hom
Email: khh54@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: San Ramon, CA

Anishka Raina
Email: ar933@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: ECE
Hometown: Cupertino, CA

Aileen Huang
Email: aeh245@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: CS
Hometown: Long Island, NY

Tommy Larson
Email: tll68@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: CS
Hometown: East Troy, WI
Business/ Outreach Sub-Team
The Business sub-team organizes the team’s funding for supplies, apparel, software licensing, and works with Outreach as the team’s public facing arm. The Outreach sub-team organizes events with local schools and organizations to link our team with the Ithaca community, as well as to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. We work with students from third grade to high school and work with local organizations like the Ithaca Sciencenter. Applicants for this sub-team can be in any major, but must have a strong willingness to learn. Beyond that, we look for a dependable team player, someone the entire team can rely on to get the job done.
Subteam Lead

Joanna Lin
Email: jl2748@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Bronx, NY

Giorgi Berndt
Email: gb449@cornell.edu
Year: 2024
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Saujas Modi
Email: sbm224@cornell.edu
Year: 2026
Major: ORIE
Hometown: Queens, NY

Matthews Cornejo
Email: mgc234@cornell.edu
Year: 2025
Major: Hotel Administration/Real Estate
Hometown: Lima, Peru

Eric Zhang
Email: ewz4@cornell.edu
Year: 2023
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: College Station, TX