REU Students Explore Drone Technology, Research and Graduate School Opportunities at TAMU-CC

This summer, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi hosted undergraduate students from across the country as part of a 10-week program called Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), which focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, cybersecurity, and drone flight compliance. 

Through hands-on research projects, students are developing technical skills while gaining experience in research, technical writing, and graduate school preparation. 

Barbara Garza ’28, a mechanical engineering student at TAMU-CC, said the program has helped her transition from high school research experiences into formal undergraduate research. 

“Honestly, I really like this experience,” Garza said. “This has really helped me transition from that high school mindset, that high school pipeline, into actual official research.” 

Garza is working on a project focused on developing a module capable of flying to a designated coordinate. As the only mechanical engineering student in her research group, she said the experience has also allowed her to explore computer science and software development. 

“Being able to dip my toes into something like computer science really opens up my doors and gives me new experiences,” Garza said. 

Shifting the focus to cybersecurity, computer science major Christian Quintero ’27 is using the program to gain his first formal research experience while preparing for graduate school. He and his research partner, Lilyanna Yang, are evaluating machine learning models to determine which approaches can best classify GPS spoofing signals, which can cause drones to miscalculate their position. 

“I am definitely learning a lot about the research process and how to go about things such as grad school,” Quintero said. “The research experience I think will definitely be very useful in getting into grad school.” 

Yang, a student at California State University, Fresno, said the program has allowed her to build on previous research experience while receiving mentorship and adding to her professional experience. 

“I really enjoy it,” Yang said. “I’ve done research before and this is something I really enjoy. I'm glad I get to experience some more research during my summer and also add to my resume and get some mentoring.” 

For Shubhangi Waldiya, who graduated from El Camino College in 2026 and will attend the University of California, Irvine, the program has provided an opportunity to grow academically and personally. 

“I really like the REU so far. It's been really fun,” Waldiya said. “I've learned a lot too in terms of computer science stuff and also drones.” 

Waldiya is working on UAV Guard, a multi-agent architecture designed to simplify drone flight compliance and help users navigate the regulations associated with operating a drone. 

Through research, mentorship, and hands-on projects, the REU program is helping students build the knowledge and experience needed to pursue future careers in engineering, computer science, and research.