Engineering grad prepares for takeoff

Kimberly Mireles grew up in a household where engineering was a constant presence. As the only daughter in her family of six, she was constantly influenced by her brothers who are engineers.

This environment sparked her curiosity and shaped her academic interests, fueling a desire to pursue a career in a field where creativity meets practicality.

“I’ve always wanted to fly and be in the air, so I knew I had to find a path that would set me up in that direction,” Mireles said.

In 2020, she moved from Bakersfield to Fresno to join a program that would allow her to explore areas such as automotive, circuitry and aerospace.

This semester, Mireles completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is preparing to walk across the stage as a Fresno State graduate at the fall Lyles College of Engineering ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Satellite Student Union.

“I’m very excited to be closing this chapter and I feel prepared to take on new challenges,” Mireles said. “My family is also very proud. They have seen all of the work that I’ve done to get here.”

Early on, she joined Bulldog Racing, a student organization dedicated to designing and fabricating cars to compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Collegiate Design Series for Baja SAE.

Through Bulldog Racing, she gained hands-on experience in a shop environment, learning how to weld, notch and bend tubing to build an off-road vehicle that also met the competition’s safety requirements and dimensional rules. She specified materials such as steel to withstand impacts, rollovers and high loads.

“This experience solidified my passion for collaborative problem-solving and set the foundation for my career in engineering,” Mireles said.

In 2021, she spent a year as a research assistant and contributed to the development of a water filtration system for sustainable agriculture in the Central Valley. This role tested her technical abilities as she worked independently to design and calibrate pumps, sensors, servo motors and filtration systems while maintaining leak-proof safety mechanisms.

Two years later, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose that set in motion a series of internships that would give Mireles a closer look into the aerospace industry.

Mireles decided to take a year off from her studies to move to the Midwest for an internship at Toyota that taught her to prioritize safety, time constraints and infrastructure in design. 

After interning at Toyota, she interned at Honeywell Aerospace, where she worked in the fuel systems department. In this role, she collaborated with lab technicians to investigate subsystem issues and conduct pressure tests, gaining valuable insight into the mechanics of complex aerospace systems.

“Moving across the country was a little bit scary, but I stayed committed to it because my nephews and nieces might want to do engineering one day, and I want to be able to tell them about my experiences and the path that I took,” Mireles said. 

Mireles returned to campus at the end of 2023 and credits her professors for helping make the transition back into the classroom a smooth one.

Dr. Aaron Hoskins, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has known Mireles for three years and describes her as an exemplary student who has made the most of the various opportunities offered by the college.

“I know that Kim will always want for every project to be its best, and I hope that her dedication and perseverance will help her to be successful and an example of what is possible with a degree from the Lyles College,” Hoskins said.

Mireles completed two more internships this year. Over the summer at Pratt and Whitney, she contributed to the testing of the geared turbofan engine and supported a flight test in Kansas. Most recently, she interned at Lockheed Martin, serving as the primary coordinator between maintenance, quality and engineering teams for F-22 flight tests.

Mireles is currently completing her private pilot’s license to fly aircrafts like a Cessna. She plans to apply to test pilot school to continue advancing her flying skills.

After graduation, Mireles will begin as a full-time flight test engineer for Lockheed Martin at Edwards Air Force Base. She is also applying to aerospace and astronautics graduate programs.

“I’m looking forward to getting more hands-on experience while completing a master’s degree,” Mireles said. “I’m a theory and application type of person, I love learning and I hope to continue making contributions to the field.”