Parker Buntin

Parker Buntin has a diverse background in materials engineering and research. Parker currently works as a Materials Engineer at Radiant since 2023. Previously, they worked at Virgin Orbit as a Senior Launch Operations Engineer from 2022 to 2023, a Rocket Operations Engineer from 2021 to 2022, a Manufacturing Engineer / Integration & Test from 2019 to 2021, and as a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow / Manufacturing Engineering, Integration in 2019.

Before joining Virgin Orbit, Parker was a Graduate Research Assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2017 to 2019. Prior to that, they gained valuable experience at SpaceX as an Associate Engineer, where they contributed to the design, testing, and characterization of materials for solar arrays, batteries, and avionics from January to August 2017.

Parker's academic and research experiences include studying electrochemistry and surface-sensitive research on materials for energy storage and conversion at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 2012 to 2016. Parker also worked as a Junior Academic Visiting Researcher at the University of Oxford, focusing on the properties and applications of 2D materials like graphene for catalysis.

Additionally, Parker has industry experience as a Materials Engineering Intern at ExxonMobil in 2015, where they analyzed data, assessed materials decisions for a refinery expansion project, and compared risk evaluation methodologies. Parker also worked as a PVA Lab Technician at Alcon, a Novartis company, in 2012.

Parker Buntin has a strong educational background in materials science and engineering. They obtained a Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they studied from 2017 to 2019. Prior to this, Parker earned a Bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, studying there from 2012 to 2016.

In addition to their formal education, Parker has also obtained certifications in Wilderness First Aid from the Atlanta Area Council; Boy Scouts of America in April 2015 and Cleanroom Certification from the Georgia Institute of Technology - Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology in January 2016.