Meet the team
Founders
Pranav Avasarala
Founder
Pranav founded Funbotics in Northern Virginia in 2016 with the goal of empowering today’s youth to pursue STEM careers. He is double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Economics at Yale University. Pranav has nurtured the program since inception, taking the journey from churches and libraries to competitions at Yale venues and programs in virtual settings. Outside of Funbotics, Pranav is passionate about product development and innovation with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
Andonny Garcia
Founder
Andonny was born in Guatemala, and raised in DC. He studies mechanical engineering at Yale university and enjoys teaching engineering, math, and physics. Having grown up in a minority, under-resourced household, Andonny seeks to dismantle the ethnic disparity in STEM fields. Andonny thoroughly knowledge and passionate about hands-on engineering, frequenting the Center for Center for Engineering Innovation and Design at Yale.
Pallavi Avasarala
Founder
Pallavi is a senior at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina pursuing a major in Sociology with a Neuroscience minor. She is an active member of DUKE Emergency Medical Services and is also working as clinical research scholar, conducting studies on Post Operative Cognitive Disease. Pallavi loves to work with kids and wants to pass on her passion for STEM to younger kidsMeet the team
Yale Funbotics Leadership
Eugene Thomas
Yale Funbotics President
Eugene is a junior at Yale from New York City and is studying Mechanical Engineering and Statistics and Data Science. He joined Funbotics because he believes that enriching and constructive educational opportunities are integral to having students excel both in and out of the classroom.
Seth Dalmacio
Yale Funbotics President
Seth is a junior at Yale from the New Haven area and is majoring in economics. As a former FIRST robotics student, he also spends his time working with several robotics teams in the New Haven Area
Tyler Imprescia
Student Outreach Head
Tyler is a junior Mechanical Engineering Major at Yale from Dover, Delaware. His two biggest passions are engineering and teaching, with Funbotics being the ideal mix of both. Outside of Yale and Funbotics, Tyler likes to cook, tutor, and play soccer.
Kelly Rudder
Marketing and Media Head
Kelly is a junior at Yale studying Computer Science. She first started mentoring robotics organizations in high school after years of doing FIRST robotics. Other than Yale Funbotics, Kelly is involved with several other organizations aiming to empower women and gender minorities in STEM
Kaleb Gezahegn
Technology Head
Kaleb is a sophomore at Yale University and is a prospective Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major. Kaleb is from Washington D.C., but he was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Meet the team
NOVA Funbotics Leadership
Pallavi Avasarala
Founder
Pallavi is a senior at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina pursuing a major in Sociology with a Neuroscience minor. She is an active member of DUKE Emergency Medical Services and is also working as clinical research scholar, conducting studies on Post Operative Cognitive Disease. Pallavi loves to work with kids and wants to pass on her passion for STEM to younger kids
Sahiti Rachakonda
NOVA Funbotics President
Sahiti is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Her passion for technology and working with youth has inspired her to contribute to Funbotics. As a dancer and artist, she is keen on studying the unique intersection between technology and art. Sahiti looks forward to growing the reach and contributions of Funbotics through her leadership and passion to positively impact the community around.
Dinan Elsyad
Director Outreach
Dinan Elsyad is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. From a young age, she has found the world of STEM, from math problems to building bridges, to be fascinating. This early fascination has now manifested into a love for the sciences that she continues to pursue every day. While she loves to learn, she also loves to help others. Funbotics gives her a way to combine these two passions. She hopes to help less fortunate kids see the magic in STEM as she does.
Jay Rachakonda
Vice President
Jay is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. His early engagement in STEM activities such as Virginia Science Olympiad and First Lego League Robotics Competition have instilled in him a love for science and technology. Jay is proud to have contributed positively to his school and loves to volunteer his time to share his knowledge.
Sohan Sunku
Event Manager
Sohan Sunku is a freshman studying Computer Science at the College of William and Mary. He has a passion for building and creating things, and from a very young age has been experimenting with robotics. In his free time, Sohan participates in drone racing, 3D printing and helping friends with their home renovation projects.
Akshath Chikkam
Event Manager
Akshath is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University in the Tepper School of Business. In high school, he dedicated his time to his robotics team, competing in both FRC and FTC. He is a passionate teacher and tutor at the Russian School of Mathematics. You can also find him mentoring younger robotics fanatics through Funbotics and the Comets FLL team.Meet the team
Advisory Board
Vincent Wilczynski
Deputy Dean, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
Maria Parente
Coordinator for Community Programs in Science at Yale
Claudia Merson
Director of Public School Partnerships at Yale
Marynel Vázquez
Asst. Professor of Computer Science at Yale, Robotics PhD., M.S., Carnegie Mellon University
