Aerospace engineering student Reva Pathre has been named the 2025 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Central Florida Section Collegiate Member of the Year. This award recognizes her outstanding achievements, leadership, and contributions to the engineering community, particularly through her dedication to SWE.
The Society of Women Engineers is dedicated to supporting women in engineering by fostering diversity, inclusion, leadership in the field. The Collegiate member of the year award recognizes students who exemplify these values and have made outstanding contributions to SWE, their campus, their mission, and the engineering community through upstanding leadership. Pathre’s recognition is a testament to her tireless work and influence on those around her.
Pathre, who currently serves at the UCF Section Treasurer for SWE, has been a dedicated member for almost 3 years, contributing significantly to her local chapter at the UCF. She has previously held key positions as the chapter’s webmaster and vice president, contributing to their growth and success. In each of these roles, she played a crucial part in the organization’s growth and success, further solidifying her role as a student leader in the engineering community.
As an aerospace engineering student, Pathre has consistently shown a passion for engineering in her academic and professional pursuits. Her dedication to her work and achievements set the stage for a bright future ahead for women in engineering. They not only reflect the values of SWE but also serve as an inspiration for all women in the field, encouraging them to take leadership roles and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
In a statement on her LinkedIn, Pathre expressed her gratitude for her SWE experiences. She acknowledged the valuable growth and skills acquired through her involvement, from developing leadership abilities to building lasting relationships with her peers. She expressed excitement about the future of SWE at UCF, emphasizing her ongoing commitment to the organization.
“It has been an honor being a part of this incredible organization! In my years with SWE, I’ve gained many opportunities to not only serve as the chapter’s Webmaster but also as the previous Vice President and current Treasurer. I would like to thank SWE for the invaluable skills I have obtained from serving in these roles. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for SWE at UCF!”
Pathre’s journey to aerospace engineering is an inspiring one, marked by her longstanding curiosity and passion for exploration in the natural world. She shared in an email statement that her interest in engineering originally stemmed from a love of math and science. However, her childhood fascination with airplanes and space led her to pursue aerospace engineering.
“I knew I liked math and science, so naturally, I thought of majoring in some sort of engineering,” she shared. “I considered biomedical engineering and took biology in my freshman year of high school. I very much disliked the course and soon realized I couldn’t major in biomedical engineering. I knew I loved airplanes and space growing up.”
“I distinctly remember going to a planetarium as a kid, being mesmerized by the stars, wondering what life exists beyond Earth!”
This childhood interest eventually guided her to UCF, where she found the perfect blend of warm weather, a connection to the space industry, and a slower pace of life compared to her fast-paced upbringing in New Jersey.
“I was born and raised in New Jersey my entire life, and I knew I wanted to flee the cold and experience a different culture than the one I was used to,” she said. “I came to Orlando on vacation and visited the Kennedy Space Center which made me realize how integrated the aerospace industry was to Central Florida.”
During her time at UCF, Pathre has enjoyed a range of classes, focusing on aerodynamics to more mechanical design through a summer internship.
“I have enjoyed numerous classes and that has left me confused as to what specifically I would like to do,” she said. “I have enjoyed the fluid mechanics and aerodynamics classes, however, this summer I interned in a more mechanical design role that I also enjoyed.”
Pathre’s journey exemplifies perseverance, passion, and leadership. In the future, Pathre plans to work in the aerospace industry and research ways to make supersonic travel more accessible.
“To a certain capacity, I am interested in the design of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft,” she said. “While there are several years of research ahead in this field, I would love to work in the aerospace industry and research the capabilities of making supersonic aircraft more accessible. As an avid travel enthusiast, the idea of traveling across the world in a shorter amount of time would be an incredible feat to achieve.”
- Written by Madelyn Sutterfield