Carmen Guerra-Garcia is the Charles Stark Draper Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. She leads the Aerospace Plasma Group, focusing on the intersection of aerospace engineering, low-temperature plasma technologies, and gas discharge physics. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD, SM) 2007-2014 Polytechnic University of Madrid (Ingeniero Aeronautico) 2007 Her research spans aircraft safety (lightning interaction, wind turbines, and charge control systems), plasma-assisted combustion , and space propulsion . She combines multi-physics modeling , computation , and experimentation to address challenges in carbon-free energy and aerospace electrification. Key trends in her recent work include plasma-assisted ignition of sustainable fuels , CO2 conversion for Mars ISRU , and dynamic interactions between plasmas and flames . Her articles highlight advancements in nanosecond pulsed discharges , self-pulsating streamers , and lightning risk mitigation . NSF CAREER Award (2024) Junior Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching (2024) Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (2021) International Fulbright Science and Technology Award (2009) First National Award in Aeronautical Engineering, Spanish Ministry of Education (2007) Guerra-Garcia’s grants include NSF CAREER funding for plasma-assisted combustion and ONR support for aerospace safety. She advises PhD students and collaborates with the Space Propulsion Lab and APS/AIAA technical committees.








