Class of 2026: Sophia Veltri discovers materials for real-world impact
Name: Sophia Veltri
College: College of Engineering
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Plans after graduation: Working as a structural engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding in the advanced submarine division
Favorite Hokie memory: “My favorite Hokie memory is the first home football game I attended. I didn’t really know much about Virginia Tech traditions before coming here, and my dad was the one who told me about Enter Sandman. Being in the stands for that moment, with everyone jumping and the energy in the stadium, that’s when it really hit me — like, yeah, I go to Virginia Tech, I’m a Hokie. I haven’t missed a home football game since.”
For many engineering students at Virginia Tech, year one is a period of learning and discovery. With support from the engineering education program, students have the opportunity to explore every major. For Sophia Veltri, that exploration led to materials science and engineering (MSE).
During her first year, Veltri took an introductory MSE course as an extra credit to fill her course schedule. As part of the course, students heard from various MSE faculty about their work. That was when the Rochester native was initially inspired by Associate Professor Carolina Tallon’s research and the impact of materials in our everyday lives.
“My dad is a mechanical engineer, so I knew that path, but I didn’t really know what else was out there,” Veltri said. “I had initially thought about chemical engineering, but after watching Dr. Tallon’s lecture, I was just so inspired. I could see that materials would be the thing to open a world of opportunities.”
Learning through research and resilience
Veltri’s decision to pursue materials science led to hands-on research that shaped her time at Virginia Tech. Nearly 70 percent of MSE students at Virginia Tech are involved in undergraduate research, which uniquely prepares them for careers after graduation.
As a sophomore, Veltri joined the Tallon Research Group, where she worked on magnetically aligned slip casting for ultra-high temperature ceramics. The experience introduced her to advanced tools and techniques earlier than she expected.
“I never thought as a sophomore that I would be doing X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope imaging,” she said. “You don’t think about those things outside of structured lab classes.”
Beyond learning technical skills, Veltri developed a newfound persistence in the face of obstacles as she worked in Tallon’s lab.
“It was the first time something wasn’t working repeatedly, and I had to figure out why,” Veltri said. “The biggest thing I learned was that failure is inevitable. You’re going to fail a lot on a really hard research project. But when you do have success, that’s when it’s the coolest thing. You get to see your work actually doing something.”
Connecting materials to impact
Veltri’s undergraduate research experience prepared her to tackle real-world challenges during her internship with the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in Jacksonville, Florida. While there, she worked on projects to battle corrosion and wear, including analyzing hydrophobic coatings for aircraft. The experience exposed her to the intersection of laboratory research and operational needs.
“In a research lab, you’re working with really high-tech materials,” she said. “But in military applications, everything has to be transformed into something that can be applied by soldiers in the field. The coolest part was talking to the people who were actually going to use what I was developing.”
The internship solidified her interest in defense-related work. After graduation, Veltri will join Newport News Shipbuilding as a structural engineer in its advanced submarine division.
Made for balance
Alongside her academic schedule, research commitments, and internship experiences, Veltri found balance through club athletics. A member of the club tennis team for four years, she served in leadership roles as treasurer and social chair and built lasting friendships.
“Movement has always been my outlet,” she said. “Having something outside of academics, whether it’s tennis, going to the gym, or running, makes everything more manageable.”
She describes her overall Virginia Tech experience in one word: balanced. It’s a concept that many students struggle to master, but Veltri made it look easy.
“I’ve challenged myself academically, but I’ve also made time for my friends and for things that make me happy,” she said. “Coming to Virginia Tech is the greatest decision I’ve ever made and I’ve tried to make my time worth it.”
