Maryland Engineering Senior Among Aviation Week’s 2025 Class of 20 Twenties

University of Maryland (UMD) aerospace engineering senior Jeremy (JJ) Kuznetsov was named to the 2025 class of Aviation Week’s 20 Twenties. Established in 2023, the 20 Twenties Program recognizes 20 talented individuals each year who are pursuing STEM degrees and on course to change the face of the aviation, aerospace, and defense industry.

Kuznetsov is a dual-degree student pursuing both mathematics and aerospace engineering. He has an active research portfolio and serves on the executive board for UMD’s student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Committee.

“It is an immense honor to be recognized as one of Aviation Week’s 20 Twenties alongside my 19 incredible peers!” said Kuznetsov. “This award reflects achievements driven by my obsession with tinkering, my love for beautiful mathematics, and my dedication to serving my community, as well as the unwavering support of mentors, peers, and others.”

He is currently conducting research as part of the DARPA Triage Challenge in Professor Derek Paley's Collective Dynamics & Control Lab, where they are developing ground-robots and drones to conduct automated, coordinated disaster-scenario triage.

In addition, Kuznetsov is an active member of the Department of Aerospace Engineering’s Balloon Payload Program led by Professor Mary Bowden. He led several technical projects and published and presented his research at the Academic High-Altitude Conference and AIAA's SciTech conference. Several universities flew his latex balloon ascent-control and flight termination system design as part of NASA's Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project that the BPP team also participated in.

He has also interned at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where he worked on a prototype for a Venus Aerobot deployment during entry into the Venusian atmosphere and worked on the flight operations for the NISAR satellite, scheduled to launch next year. His experience at JPL helped inform his honors research: a kilometer-scale tether-deployment and towed-body system for flight on a near-space balloon.

Looking ahead, Kuznetsov plans to pursue his Ph.D. in either aerospace engineering or mathematics to conduct both applied and theoretical research on autonomous system decision-making or perception.

“I want to work towards a future where autonomous systems explore the universe, uncover secrets, and collect resources for humanity, as well as serve us here on Earth,” said Kuznetsov. “And I am excited to continue pursuing my passions and building the next generation in aerospace with all I have to offer.”

Aviation Week will recognize the 2025 Twenty 20 winners on March 6 during Aviation Week Network’s 67th Annual Laureate Awards and Dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Published January 9, 2025