Pavan Kumar is pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas. On campus, he has served as a research assistant working on design research with a focus on AI and automation in manufacturing. He recently served as a teaching assistant for the Formula SAE race car team. His research focuses broadly on students' engineering identity and the various influences in the university shaping it. Kumar has been a failed serial entrepreneur but has enabled and championed the maker movement in India, which paved the way for many successful startups. In his last venture in India, he led a billionaire philanthropist's nonprofit organization dedicated to innovations and impact in the healthcare sector. He has over 15 years of extensive experience following his master’s degree in engineering from Clemson University in 2008. He has worked in technical and managerial roles and founded and directed several high-impact organizations in India that still deliver value to their stakeholders. He has also spoken at many tech conferences and events, hosted several panels, and was an on-demand TEDx speaker. Kumar plans to use his summer in Washington, D.C., to explore how changes in federal policy can enable students to develop their engineering identity through a well-rounded engineering educational experience.