MEET OUR LEADERSHIP.

Meet the passionate student leaders driving SEA’s mission forward across all teams. Each leader brings expertise, vision, and energy to empower their peers, support interdisciplinary projects, and push the boundaries of student-led analog space exploration.

Vic Paulson

Founder & President

Sara Kapasi

Head of Partnerships

Leslie Nava

Heads of Comms

Isadora Bokas

Head of Partnerships

Elias Pimentel

Head of Habitat & Suit Design

AlaN YEUNG

Head of MCC

Neeharika Baireddy

Head of Astronauts

Sara Kapasi

Head of Research

Kurt Gugelev-Shapiro

Head of Logistics

Vilohith Gokarakonda

GT Admin & Tabling

Mission Fellows are early leaders within Southeast Analog who have demonstrated exceptional initiative and commitment to the organization. While many are first-year students, they actively contribute to mission planning, operations development, and leadership discussions alongside the heads team. Through roles across logistics, communications, and mission control operations, Mission Fellows help shape the development of SEA’s analog mission while gaining hands-on experience in mission leadership and systems coordination.

SEA Mission Fellows

Gabriel Buggi

Public Affairs Officer (PAO) • Communications Team • Logistics Team

Gabriel Buggi is a first-year aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech who contributes across multiple areas of Southeast Analog. For the 2026 mission, Gabriel will serve as a Public Affairs Officer (PAO) in Mission Control, helping communicate mission updates and events to the public. He also leads SEA’s Instagram presence for the communications team and supports logistics planning, including coordination efforts for the upcoming SEA Outreach Gala.

Bella Diedrich

Flight Director • Mission Control Center Project Manager

Bella Diedrich is a first-year aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech who plays a key leadership role within SEA’s Mission Control Center. As MCC Project Manager and a Flight Director for the 2026 mission, Bella helps coordinate mission operations planning and MCC development. She is particularly interested in systems engineering and mission operations and aspires to become an astronaut. Bella also helped initiate the concept for the SEA Outreach Gala, contributing to the organization’s outreach and engagement efforts.

Mya Taheri is a first-year aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech and serves as a member of SEA’s Mission Control Center team. For the 2026 mission, she will operate as a Flight Director, supporting mission operations and coordination between the habitat and mission control. Mya is passionate about space exploration and enjoys learning about the universe while contributing to the systems and teamwork that enable successful space missions.

Flight Director • Mission Control Center

MYA Taheri

Ajira Pandey contributes to Southeast Analog through both the logistics team and Mission Control Center operations. For the 2026 mission, Ajira is preparing to serve as Electrical, Environmental, and Consumables Manager (EECOM), a console responsible for monitoring habitat systems including environmental control, power, and resource management. Through her work in logistics and mission planning, Ajira helps support the infrastructure and operational readiness required for SEA’s analog mission.

EECOM • Logistics Team

Ajira Pandey