#  Van Tran 

 



   ![Van Tran.](/sites/g/files/omnuum9166/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-08/Tran%2C%20Van%20Headshot.jpg?itok=l-yo30_t) 

 

Van Tran, of Kirkland House, graduated with a concentration in Applied Mathematics (Decision and Control track) and a secondary in Energy and Environment. Born in Vietnam and raised in West Virginia, he took a gap year after high school to explore aerospace, serving with AmeriCorps at NASA’s Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility to teach STEM across West Virginia and neighboring states, while also pursuing his private pilot’s license in the region’s open skies.

At Harvard, Van’s academic and research interests centered on air transportation systems and sustainable aviation. He contributed to published research in collaboration with several labs, including the University of Michigan’s Laboratory for Air Transportation, Infrastructure, and Connected Environments, as well as several MIT groups: the REliable Autonomous Systems Lab, the International Center for Air Transportation, and the Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. During his summers, he interned at NASA Ames Research Center, where he also conducted research for his senior thesis on the sustainability of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, and at HNTB, an airport engineering and design firm.

Beyond the classroom, Van was an avid dancer. He served as director and treasurer of Harvard Expressions Dance Company, performing competitively with its subteam, EXP. He also danced with Harvard Eleganza, the Asian American Dance Troupe, and Candela.

Van will continue his studies as the Lt. Charles H. Fiske III Scholar at Trinity College where he will pursue an MPhil in Quantitative Climate and Environmental Science.