Aparna Kamath

My name is Aparna Kamath, and I am a senior in Physics with a minor in Chemistry. I am
currently one of the Co-Directors for Engineering Open House 2026 and a member of the
Engineering Council Executive Board, after serving previously as the EOH 2024 Director of
Special Events and the EOH 2025 Director of Exhibits. I have also been a tutor for the Center
for Academic Resources in Engineering for five semesters, including three as a lead tutor for the
PHYS 214/213 exam review team. Additionally, I was an Engineering Learning Assistant for
ENG 100 (Engineering Undeclared) and a Learning Assistant for University Physics: Electricity
& Magnetism, in which I helped teach laboratory sections and contributed to UIUC’s Physics
Education Research.
I am involved in quantum theory research in the Makri Group to investigate the dynamics of
phonon-coupled spin systems, aiming to understand quantum dissipation and its implications for
coherence preservation in quantum computing. Previously, I worked in the Madhavan Lab on
fabricating twisted bilayer graphene devices to measure and study the material’s electronic
phenomena.
I was also a member of the Illinois Space Society’s Human Lander Challenge team to design a
novel lunar landing system for NASA’s next mission to the moon, and I am currently a
year-round engineering intern in a Flight Systems & Software group at Sandia National
Laboratories. After graduation, I will begin a PhD in Quantum Science & Engineering at the
University of Chicago. I am honored to become a Knight of St. Patrick, and I am truly grateful for all that my family, friends, and organizations at UIUC have done to support me!