Purdue Aviation Research Club
Aviation Technologies Team2026 – present
Working on the club's aviation technology projects.
hello, i'm joey!
I'm a student
About me
Studying First-Year Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
I'm an honors first-year engineering student at Purdue, planning to major in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, and a student pilot working toward my private pilot certificate.
I'm looking for research and internship or co-op experience where I can put my analytical, technical and teamwork skills to use and keep growing toward a career in aviation and aerospace.
Music is a big part of my life outside of school and flying. I sing and play piano and saxophone, and there's more about that in the music section.
I also play tennis and pickleball, travel whenever I can, read, and play a lot of Tetris.
spotifytop artists · this month
Click an artist to open their Spotify page ↗
teams i root for
PurdueBig 10
Man CityPremier League
Granada CFLa Liga 2
ColtsNFL
PacersNBA
Indy ElevenUSL Championship
favorite tennis player
Jannik Sinner · Italy
Involvement
Notable Measures
Advisory board member2025 – present
Board member for a nonprofit that funds and expands access to musical experiences for young people.
Purdue University Dance Marathon
Event logistics2026 – present
Helping run the events that raise money for childhood cancer research at Riley Children's Hospital.
Purdue Pilots, Inc.
Member2026 – present
Purdue's student flying club.
Discovery English Camp
Teaching assistant & photographerGranada, Spain2025
Teaching assistant, photographer and videographer for Spanish students ages 4 to 14.
Awards
- AP Scholar with Distinction2026
- Magna Cum Laude, Academic Honors Diploma2026
- AP Scholar2025
- National Merit Commended Student2025
- ZSI Musicianship Award2025
Work
2024 – present
Technical crew · STAR Bank Performing Arts Center & Zionsville Community Schools
Helped manage equipment, lighting, audio and video for district events and local productions, from small assemblies to 4,000-seat commencement ceremonies. Handle setup, teardown and logistics for large events like commencement and homecoming.
2024 – 2026
Private piano instructor
Taught up to eight students ages 5 to 16 with individual lesson plans, and kept students for multiple years as they worked toward graded milestones and recitals.
Projects
ENGR 161Fall 2026 · in progress
MACRO Mars cargo rover
Four-person team designing and building a small-scale autonomous Mars cargo rover prototype in response to a mock request for proposals. The rover follows a guideline that breaks into dots and gaps, crosses rough terrain, avoids moving obstacles, and carries cargo from a landing zone to one of three delivery sites and back.
ENGR 161Sep 2026
Catapult design
Designed and built a catapult with a four-person team, trading off distance and accuracy against weight and material cost under strict build constraints.
Pilot
I'm currently working towards my Private Pilot License out of KLAF.
51.7hours logged
as of Oct 19, 2026
0
100
0255075100 hrs
Crosswind check
Drag the arrow to set the wind. Pick a runway.
Headwind–
Crosswind–
Where I've flown so far
More to come.
Planes I've flown
Cessna 172 Skyhawk
- Engine
- 160–180 hp
- Cruise
- ~120 kt
Cessna 182 Skylane
- Engine
- 230 hp
- Cruise
- ~140 kt
Piper Warrior II
- Engine
- 160 hp
- Cruise
- ~115 kt
Music
band · keys & vocals2025 – present
Laminar Flow
Nine-piece funk, soul and pop band from Zionsville.
jazz · alto sax2026 – present
Purdue Jazz Bands
Alto saxophone in Purdue's jazz band program.
show choir · bass section leader2023 – 2026
ZSI Royalaires
Led vocal work in the bass section for a group recognized nationally for vocal excellence.
show choir band · captain2022 – 2026
ZSI Combo
Instrumentalist and captain of the show choir band, which also earned national recognition.
show choir · accompanist2024 – 2026
ZSI Choralaires
Accompanied a nationally ranked show choir at concerts, competitions and rehearsals year-round, with several hours of practice a week through competition season.
teaching2024 – 2026
Piano instruction
Private lessons for students ages 5 to 16.
pianokeysalto saxtenor saxvocalsZSI Musicianship Award · 2025
Play something
Tap the keys, or use your keyboard: A S D F G H J K for the white keys, W E T Y U for the black ones.
C4 to C5 · tap a key
Let's get in touch!
seitz38@purdue.edujosephrseitz08@gmail.com