Leadership

Illinois Tech Rocketry is a student-led organization managed by the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and the leads of its technical programs. The leadership team oversees the organization's technical projects, operations, finances, and outreach initiatives.

President

Theodora Prosiliakos

Grade: Senior
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- SAC/Controls Member 2024-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Going to IREC 2025 and swimming in UT’s pool
Contact: tprosiliakos@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Competition Technical Lead

Ty Garrison

Grade: 5th Year Co-terminal
Studying:
- M.Eng Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- SAC Technical Lead 2024-2025
- Argonia Co-Lead 2023-2024
- SAC Structure Member 2022-2023
Favorite ITR Memory: Going to stonehenge in the middle of Texas
Contact: tgarrison@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Controls Lead

Franco Avalos

Grade: Senior
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Controls Lead 2025-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Doing the carbon fiber layup on BRAT airbrakes
Contact: favalos@hawk.illinoistech.edu

R&D Technical Lead

Aidan Ficke

Grade: Sophomore
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- R&D Member 2025-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: All the late nights spent in the lab
Contact: aficke@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Liquid Co-Lead & Treasurer

Jack Finch

Grade: Senior
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Treasurer 2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Launching Aether One in Mojave
Contact: jfinch6@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Liquid Co-Lead

Chris Degroot

Grade: Junior
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Liquid Member 2024-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Wiping the group in team pickleball
Contact: cdegroot@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Spaceport Structures & Recovery Lead

Admir Pali

Grade: 5th Year
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Structures Member 2024-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Obtaining my level 1 and 2 tripoli certificates
Contact: apali@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Spaceport Structures & Recovery Lead

Alex Rodriguez

Grade: 4th Year Co-terminal
Studying:
- M.Eng Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering , B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Structures Member 2023-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Obtaining my level 1 tripoli certificate
Contact: arodriguez71@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Spaceport Avionics Lead

Dominick Kroupa

Grade: 4th Year
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Avionics Member 2025-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Working with the avionics team to create an improved bay design
Contact: dkroupa@hawk.illinoistech.edu

PR Chair

Emilia Frey

Grade: Sophomore
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
- Minor in Psychology
Previous Experience With ITR:
- General Member 2025-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Learning about all of the interesting aspects of rocketry
Contact: efrey1@hawk.illinoistech.edu

Spaceport Avionics Lead

Logan Garcia

Grade: Super senior (aka Co-term 5th year)
Studying:
- M.Eng Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- SAC Avionics Lead 2024-2026
Favorite ITR Memory: Celebrating our IREC launch by partying up in the coolest place ever ... Midland, Texas
Contact: lgarcia30@hawk.illinoistech.edu

R&D Member

Connor Bailey

Grade: Junior
Studying:
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Liquid Member 2024-2026
Favorite ITR Memory:
Contact:

Controls Lead

Luka Simic

Grade: 5th Year
Studying:
- M.Eng Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
- B.S. Aerospace Engineering
Previous Experience With ITR:
- Controls Lead 2025-2026
Favorite ITR Memory:
Contact: lsimic@hawk.illinoistech.edu

"

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.