Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, 2025
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 2019
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2018
Academic Appointments
  • Representative to the Graduate Studies Committee, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, 2022–2023
  • Representative to the Graduate Engineering Student Council, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, 2022–2023
Professional Honors
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Distinguished Fellow, University of Virginia, 2021–2025
  • Chairperson's Fellow, University of Virginia, 2021
  • Cum Laude Graduate, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 2019
  • National Defense Scholarship, Republic of Ecuador, 2014–2019
Professional Affiliations
  • Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2024
  • Member, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), 2022
  • Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2018
  • Member, Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE), 2018
  • Member, Material Advantage, 2015

Dr. Cesar Rodriguez Saenz is an aerospace and mechanical engineer specializing in experimental and computational fluid dynamics, with a strong focus on unsteady, particle-laden flows. 

His doctoral research at the University of Virginia, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce North America, involved the experimental and computational study of axisymmetric inertial particle separators for gas turbine engines, which resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and presentations at premier conferences such as American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aviation. His technical expertise encompasses advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, complex experimental techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), and engineering design. Dr. Rodriguez Saenz has diverse experience in academic and industry roles, having served as a consultant for companies like Honeywell Aerospace, and as a mechanical design engineer in automotive manufacturing. He is actively involved in professional organizations as a member of the AIAA Inlets, Nozzles, and Propulsion Integration Technical Committee and a peer reviewer for the Journal of Aerospace Engineering.