Sahana Sundaram

Sahana Sundaram still remembers the handwritten letter a student gave her after a recitation session, thanking her for helping make a difficult subject finally click.

The moment stayed with Sahana, who served as an undergraduate teaching assistant at Arizona State University, and helped her see teaching as part of her future. After graduation, she will continue at ASU through the Accelerated Master’s degree program as a step toward eventually pursuing a doctoral degree.

Sahana is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

As an Arizona native, she has been set on attending ASU since childhood.

“It’s such a vast university that provides its students with abundant opportunities to grow professionally as well as socially,” Sahana says.

During her time at ASU, she interned at Textron Aviation as a mechanical design engineer, where she addressed a design issue with the Cessna M2 side ledge tables, which are compact tray tables built into the aircraft’s cabin wall for passenger use. She researched the problem, proposed an improved model to enhance functionality and worked with manufacturers to evaluate its feasibility, ultimately presenting her findings to company leadership.

She also participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Internship, where she worked under Professor Bhavik Bakshi to design a green steel production method using Circored technology, a cleaner industrial process used to make iron, which is the main ingredient in steel. 

“We focused on using solar electricity and scrap steel imports to decarbonize the global steel industry, addressing a critical problem at the intersection of engineering and environmental impact,” Sahana says.

She taught Python, machine learning and robotics to students as young as 6 as a technical lead and computer science instructor at iCode. She also facilitated cybersecurity and robotics workshops for Girl Scout groups.

She says the role was especially meaningful.

“I got to spark curiosity in young minds and show them that engineering and technology are accessible to everyone,” she says.

As a community chair for the Society of Women Engineers, she organized K–12 hackathons, introducing young students to STEM through hands-on challenges and building a sense of belonging among women in engineering. Through Engineering Projects in Community Service, she helped design an automated composter for Clark Park Community Garden, applying her technical skills to a project that directly served the local community.

As she embarks on her graduate studies at ASU through the Accelerated Master’s degree program, Sahana is proud to be recognized as one of the Fulton Schools’ Outstanding Graduates.

“Every time I break through a barrier like this, I know I’m paving the way for the next generation of women to walk into this space without questioning whether it’s for them,” she says.

Favorites

Hobby: Dancing Bharatanatyam
Performers: Twice
TV show: New Girl
Book: Little Women
Game: Game of Life

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2026 class.

Written by Roger Ndayisaba