Kira Mauro’s CCNY graduation headshot. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kira Mauro.
Since graduating from The City College of New York in 2023, chemical engineering alumna Kira Mauro has launched a career developing propulsion technologies at GE Aerospace. From designing fuel delivery systems for advanced flight applications to mentoring newer engineers, Mauro is applying the technical foundation, faculty mentorship and leadership experiences she developed at CCNY to projects supporting next-generation aerospace technologies.
Mauro’s interest in engineering began in high school, where she excelled in chemistry, calculus and physics classes. As she began considering career paths for college, conversations with her grandmother, a mechanical engineer, ultimately encouraged her to explore the field.
She realized she wanted to combine her passion for chemistry with engineering, so she chose to major in chemical engineering with a minor in mathematics at CCNY, which aligned with her wish to remain in New York City while studying engineering.
“It was a great choice and I have no regrets,” Mauro said. “It was an awesome experience, campus, and the chemical engineering department is, in my opinion, the best department at CCNY.”
While building that academic foundation, Mauro also took on leadership roles outside the classroom, serving as vice president of the CCNY Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and event coordinator for Engineers Without Borders USA – CCNY Chapter.
In addition to helping her meet many of the friends she still keeps in touch with today, the organizations introduced her to professional development opportunities, networking events, and conversations with engineers working across the industry.
“I think the connections that you make along the way, not only with fellow students but the professors as well, really helped me professionally in terms of getting their insight on what it’s like in the real world,” Mauro said.
Like many CUNY students, Mauro balanced her coursework with the financial realities of college, working in the restaurant industry while pursuing her degree. Although that limited the number of engineering internships she could complete, she believes her experience was just as valuable in preparing her for the workforce by strengthening her communication, organization, and time management skills.
The internship she completed during her time at CCNY was at Nestlé Health Science, which complemented the transferable skills from the classroom by providing hands-on engineering experience. While working with a small engineering team, Mauro helped troubleshoot manufacturing processes, develop formulations and gain practical experience that built her confidence as she entered the profession.
“I gained the confidence that I am a capable engineer,” Mauro said. “I can work with other people. I can take what I’ve learned and apply it to things that I haven’t been exposed to before.”
A unique soft-gel formulation that Mauro developed at her internship in Nestle Health Science. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kira Mauro.
Throughout her time at CCNY, Professor Marco J. Castaldi became one of Mauro’s most influential mentors. In addition to his teachings, he regularly invited alumni and industry professionals to speak with students, helping them better understand what engineering careers looked like beyond graduation. Those experiences ultimately helped shape Mauro’s own career path.
One industry speaker in particular left a lasting impression. GE Aerospace engineer Jasmine Navarrete visited on one of Castaldi’s industry days to discuss her work in propulsion, exposing Mauro to an area of engineering she had never previously considered.
“I remember she came in, and I was so excited about what she was talking about and wanted to learn more,” Mauro said. “And look at me now, I ended up working at the same job.”
Castaldi later helped Mauro strengthen her resume and connected her with the opportunity to interview for the position that launched her career.
Today, Mauro’s responsibilities at GE Aerospace as an associate chemical engineer continue to evolve. She began her career supporting solid fuel formulation, manufacturing, testing and data analysis before transitioning into the design of liquid fuel delivery systems for advanced flight applications. Her work now spans projects from early system architecture and engineering calculations through testing and validation, while also supporting ignition system development and mentoring newer engineers on similar programs.
“It’s been quite a wild ride for me at GE, but it’s been the best experience,” Mauro said. “I’ve learned so much, and I believe I have so much more to learn and grow.”
Although her responsibilities have grown significantly since joining the company, Mauro continues looking ahead. She hopes to become a lead engineer while expanding her expertise in computer-aided design, finite element analysis and engineering simulation software.
“I would love to achieve the title of lead engineer,” she said. “And learn more software skills since I think being able to have those skills in my pocket would really make me a well-rounded engineer.”
A visual timeline of Mauro’s career journey found in her presentation slides for Industry Day. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kira Mauro.
Reflecting on her own journey, Mauro remembers the uncertainty she felt as she approached graduation and searched for her first engineering position. Watching many talented classmates nervous about finding jobs reinforced how important it was to seek out mentorship, build professional relationships, and take advantage of every opportunity available.
“I want others to know that there are opportunities,” Mauro said. “Finding your first job is not always easy, but you can accomplish anything you want if you make those connections, ask questions anytime you can, and be a part of a community or network and talk to your professors about their experiences.”
Sofia is a graduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College, where she’s pursuing her M.S. in Media Studies. Her work centers on cultural affairs, capturing people’s lived experiences, and producing work that is not only compelling and polished but also intentional, inclusive, and aligned with meaningful public impact. In addition to writing for The RICC, she’s a dedicated writer for the Brooklyn News Service.