Incoming Stanford PhD · Knight-Hennessy Scholar · Space Systems

JAYSON JOHNSON

Engineering thermal systems for space and building tools that make campus life less chaotic and more human.

Howard University alum (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, minors in computer science and mathematics) and Karsh STEM Scholar. Incoming PhD student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford. My work moves between CFD, machine learning, and product design—from self-cleaning solar panels and ISS payload modeling to Rooted, a campus hub used by 1,500+ students.

Explore my research See Rooted in action

Stanford · Aero/Astro PhD (incoming)

Knight-Hennessy Scholar

Howard · B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Muon Space · MIT · JHU

Co-founder · Rooted

Knight-Hennessy Scholar

Rooted · University Hub 1,500+ students · $35k raised

Recognition

Knight-Hennessy Scholar GEM Fellow Patti Grace Smith Fellow Karsh STEM Scholar Howard Empower Pitch · $20k first place

My Story

A path shaped by research and people

Muon · MIT · JHU Jayson at Johns Hopkins University

Engineering the journey

From campus experiments to space-focused systems.

Each stop has been a different kind of lab: Howard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Muon Space, Tree Technologies—and next, Stanford Aero/Astro.

I like working where physics, computation, and people all collide. Whether it is solar panels in harsh environments or students trying to find a dining hall that is actually open, the goal is the same: make complex systems feel simple.

Howard · AFTERLAB
Built thermal models for TIGERISS using Thermal Desktop and ANSYS SpaceClaim to understand ISS payload environments.

JHU · SPIRE
Helped create tools to predict synthesis conditions for thousands of new materials in seconds.

MIT · Hypersonics
Used CFD and machine learning to rethink how dust comes off solar panels in extreme conditions.

Stanford · Aero/Astro (incoming)
Starting a PhD focused on computational methods and ML for aerospace design, supported by the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program.

CFD & thermal modeling Machine learning for physics Student-centered tools

My Resume

Resume

2026 Resume

Covers coursework, research at MIT, JHU, Muon Space, and Howard/AFTERLAB, fellowships (Knight-Hennessy, GEM, Patti Grace Smith), Rooted/Tree Technologies, and leadership roles.

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Updated 2026.

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Research Projects

Selected work

A few places where I’ve used physics, computation, and design to solve real problems.

Muon Space · Intern

From self-cleaning panels to torque rods for orbit

At Muon Space, I split my time between two very different but connected problems: designing self-cleaning solar panel concepts with CFD/ML tools, and helping qualify custom torque rods that keep satellites pointed in the right direction.

On the analysis side, I worked with simulation pipelines and data-driven models. On the hardware side, I helped think through test matrices, constraints, and how each design decision shows up in performance, cost, and risk.

Space systems Thermal / power Attitude control hardware Simulation pipelines

MIT · Hypersonics Lab

Shape-Enhanced Aerodynamic Dust Removal (SEADR)

At MIT's Hypersonics Research Laboratory (2024), I worked on SEADR, a project that rethinks how dust comes off solar panels in harsh environments. I built CFD models in ANSYS Fluent and then reduced them into fast surrogate models that could estimate pressure distributions in a fraction of a second.

The result: a speedup of more than five orders of magnitude while staying within a fraction of a percent of the high-fidelity solution. That makes design iteration feel more like playing with a tool than waiting on a simulation.

CFD ANSYS Fluent Reduced-order models Machine learning

MIT MSRP profile

Howard · AFTERLAB

TIGERISS: Modeling payload environments for the International Space Station

I built an end-to-end thermal modeling workflow in Thermal Desktop and ANSYS SpaceClaim—creating geometry, meshes, and simulation setups to estimate heating, cooling, and energy exchange under realistic ISS conditions. The goal is to test smarter on the ground and avoid costly surprises in orbit.

The work helped translate complex orbital environments into repeatable lab-ready simulations—a step toward turning student-designed payloads into flight-ready systems.

Thermal Desktop ANSYS SpaceClaim ISS payloads Simulation

NASA TIGERISS project

JHU · McQueen Lab / PARADIM

SPIRE: Predicting synthesis for 20,000+ oxides

At Johns Hopkins, I helped build SPIRE, a tool that predicts synthesis conditions for tens of thousands of oxide materials. Instead of guessing and checking recipes in the lab, SPIRE narrows the search space so you can focus on the most promising candidates.

I worked with datasets, models, and a web interface that lets materials scientists explore recommendations in seconds. It made me realize how much impact you can have when you combine good physics intuition with good data infrastructure.

Materials informatics Data-driven discovery Python / web tools

SPIRE talk PARADIM highlight PARADIM · JHU REU

Stanford · Aero/Astro PhD

Jayson Johnson — incoming Stanford PhD student

Next: computational aerospace design at Stanford

Incoming PhD student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University and Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Summer First research rotation ahead of Autumn 2026 enrollment.

Research interests: computational methods and machine learning to accelerate aerospace engineering design and build resilient air and space systems for extreme environments.

Knight-Hennessy Scholar GEM Fellow Scientific ML

Stanford Aero/Astro

Student-built · University-backed

Tree Technologies

Rooted is Howard University's official campus platform—built by students, advancing through a university partnership (MSA in final negotiation, June 2026). 1,500+ students connected. $35,000 in funding secured.

Rooted · Howard University

Campus infrastructure built by students, backed by the institution.

Rooted centralizes events, organizations, announcements, and campus resources in one place. Launched officially during Howard Entrepreneurship Week (March 2026) as a milestone in student-led innovation at an HBCU.

Explore Rooted

Connected Campus Ecosystem

Rooted links events, dining, organizations, and news into one student-facing hub—with real-time updates and a scalable foundation for university engagement.

Unified campus data
Real-time updates

Institutional Partnership

Rooted is advancing an official Howard University partnership with structured governance, security review, and long-term sustainability—an HBCU-first model designed to expand across higher education.

University MSA
Student SSO access

Engagement & Impact

Rooted helps administrators understand adoption and gives student organizations better reach—1,500+ students connected, with elections integration and campus-wide rollout.

1,500+ students
$35k funding

Video

Tree Technologies at Howard

This video is the HU Empower Pitch Competiton where we won $20,000!

Visit my YouTube channel

Karsh STEM Summer Bridge Assistant

Selected to support incoming Karsh STEM Scholars through Summer 2026—onboarding, programming logistics, accountability, and day-to-day student support.

Summer 2026

HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference

Panel speaker at the Howard University National HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference (June 2026), sharing the Rooted story and student-led campus technology.

June 2026

Beta Chapter · Howard University

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. — Beta Chapter

As a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Beta Chapter, I’ve been able to turn leadership ideas into real programs on campus — from organizing events and step performances to supporting students through mentorship and service initiatives.

The same skills I use in research and entrepreneurship show up here too: communicating clearly, planning details, and building systems that help other people win. Alpha keeps me grounded in why the work matters beyond labs and pitch decks.

Chapter leadership Campus culture Service & mentorship

Beta Chapter website

Highlight from Beta Chapter events at Howard University.

Get In Touch

Let’s connect

Interested in collaborating, talking space systems, or building better tools for students? Reach out through any of these channels.

Let's Connect

I'm open to conversations about PhD research, aerospace internships, product building, and campus partnerships. Choose a channel that works best for you.

LinkedIn Research & career GitHub Code & projects Instagram Life & campus Email Direct contact

For professional inquiries, the best way to reach me is at jayson.johnson@bison.howard.edu .