Firat Taxpulat is an engineer and researcher with experience in aerospace software, artificial intelligence, and robotics. He worked as a Senior Software Engineer and an AI Research Engineer at Lockheed Martin. Before joining Lockheed Martin, he developed instrumentation software at Edwards Air Force Base.
Firat studied an M.S. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at UCLA.
In addition to engineering and research, Firat brings his experience in STEM education to the board. He has served as the Lead Computer Vision Mentor for FIRST Robotics Competition Team 5012: Gryffingear at TPAA and as both a Leadership Committee Member and Volunteer Coordinator for the Aerospace Robotics Competition. Through these roles, he has helped local students in the Antelope Valley gain engineering experience and explore STEM careers.
In his free time, Firat enjoys running, reading, following the NBA, and feeding his neighborhood’s stray cats.