Alek Parolari Grosgurin
About Alek Parolari Grosgurin
Alek Parolari Grosgurin is a Manufacturing Engineer at Joby Aviation, where he focuses on improving manufacturing processes for aircraft components. He has extensive experience in composite manufacturing and has contributed to various aerospace projects, including the UCI Rocket Project.
Work at Joby Aviation
Alek Parolari Grosgurin has been employed at Joby Aviation as a Manufacturing Engineer since 2023. In this role, he supports the Airframe Assembly team by focusing on improving manufacturing processes for the aircraft's tail structure. He is also involved in enhancing the assembly process for scaled aircraft production, contributing to the company's efforts in developing advanced air mobility solutions.
Experience at UCI Rocket Project
Prior to joining Joby Aviation, Alek worked at the UCI Rocket Project in various roles. He served as a Launch Vehicle Engineer/Lead from 2021 to 2023, where he led the manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced rocket fins and an ablatively cooled rocket engine. His efforts contributed to the team's successful launch of a liquid-fueled rocket that reached an apogee of 9,000 feet in Spring 2023. Additionally, he held positions as Solids Engineer and Solids Team Lead, focusing on composite manufacturing practices and structural testing.
Education and Expertise
Alek Parolari Grosgurin studied Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering from 2019 to 2023. He also completed his high school education at Sequoia High School, earning a High School Diploma from 2015 to 2019. His academic background has equipped him with the technical knowledge and skills necessary for his roles in engineering and manufacturing.
Achievements in Composite Manufacturing
During his time at the UCI Rocket Project, Alek developed composite manufacturing practices through prototyping and conducted extensive testing on various fin designs. He led wind tunnel tests and developed structural tests to validate the strength of composite fins for flight. His work included testing multiple prototypes to determine their flutter limits and observing their structural behavior under extreme aerodynamic loads.
Technical Contributions and Modeling
Alek contributed to the UCI Rocket Project by developing a liquid rocket trajectory model in MATLAB, which accurately predicted the rocket's apogee within 2% of its actual value. He documented investigations into improper engine assembly and structural failures, demonstrating his commitment to safety and reliability in aerospace engineering.