Thendral is a sophomore in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering (BSAAE '26) at Purdue University. She recently earned the title of a Brooke Owens Fellow (2023), the first international student to do so from Purdue. 
 
Born and raised in the Middle East as an Indian immigrant, Thendral hopes to brings a unique multicultural facet to every project she works on. Since the age of 13, she has been working towards her goal of becoming the first Indian woman to set foot on the planet Mars. 

She gave a TEDx talk titled, ‘We Choose to Go to Mars,’ on the importance of funding and investing in crewed missions to Mars. Recognized for her commitment to DEI in the aerospace industry, Thendral was named one of the 24 Under 24 Leaders and Innovators in STEAM and Space by the Mars Generation in 2021. She is also a science communicator on Instagram (@thendralkamal). 

Presentation Information

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024
Time: 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Frangipani Room, Indiana Memorial Union
Format: In-Person Only