Ethan Mills

Hello, I'm Ethan Mills! I'm originally from Northern Virginia (an hour from Washington, D.C.), and outside of engineering, I enjoy playing soccer with friends, supporting Bayern Munich, traveling with friends and family, and helping my dad work on his classic cars. I also have two Labs who are a blast.

I'm currently a sophomore ('29) studying Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University, where I am pursuing a concentration in Thermal-Fluid Systems and a minor in Aerospace Engineering. I'm also a Chassis System / Aerodynamics Subsystem Engineer on NovaRacing, Villanova's Formula SAE team, a student-run collegiate race car design and engineering program, where I contribute to aerodynamic design and composite manufacturing.

As an engineer, I'm especially interested in material properties and the development of next-generation materials. I want to understand how a material's strength, weight, behavior, and manufacturing requirements influence design decisions, structural integrity, and the function of a finished component. I also enjoy design itself, particularly the challenge of creating something that performs well while remaining practical to manufacture.

As I continue into fluid dynamics, my Thermal-Fluid Systems coursework, and the Aerospace Engineering minor, I hope to gain a much better understanding of how flow behaves and how that knowledge can guide aerodynamic design. I'm looking for experiences that will broaden my abilities in materials, aerodynamics, and analysis in CFD while building on my existing strength in CAD and engineering design. I would also like to become more capable with manual machining and learn how to weld, because having another reliable welder around is always useful on a Formula SAE team.

My long-term goal is to work on advanced aerospace, defense, or high-performance automotive systems. I hope to become an engineer who can understand how geometry, materials, airflow, manufacturing, and structural requirements come together to shape a complete design.