• Patti Grace Smith Fellow, Class of 2024

• University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Mechanical Engineering, ‘26

• Host Institution: ispace technologies U.S., Inc.

Ian Santiago Carrasquillo is a Sophomore mechanical engineering student from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Ian’s highest achievement so far has been to achieve second place overall in the NASA RASC-AL 2023 competition. His team had the opportunity to present a Permanent Research Outpost for Mars and Interplanetary Space Exploration where he designed the Mars Descent Vehicle (MDS) and Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) for a 7-year crewed Mars mission. His dream is to become an impactful leader in the new space economy by leading its most important projects. Additionally, he is driven to represent Puerto Rico and his Afro-Rican heritage on the global stage. Beyond his personal ambitions, Ian aims to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams relentlessly. Moreover, he seeks to foster a culture of creativity and diversity, encouraging various forms of expression.