AJ Shanahan is a recent graduate of Washington University in Saint Louis with a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. In addition to his masters, he holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Physics and Bachelor’s of Arts in Religious Studies. His work spans the design and construction of scientific instrumentation, including an open-source fluorescent microscope and an autonomous rover. Most recently, he has been working on developing a unified concept for a self-coating space telescope by integrating multiple Phase II SBIR–funded technologies.