The VFS UC Berkeley Student Chapter Members (from left to right): Faculty Mentor, Jasenka
Rakas; Chapter officers: Jordan Kam (Student President), Leira Roma (Treasurer), Bailey Monti
(Membership Officer), Kara Gaiser (Secretary), and Luis Fonseca (Program Chair).
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) University of California, Berkeley Student Chapter was established on November 17th , 2025, marking an exciting start for additional rotorcraft and vertical flight activities on campus.
The VFS UC Berkeley Student Chapter Faculty Mentor is Jasenka Rakas, a faculty member in the Aerospace Engineering Program and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and Deputy Director of the UCB National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR).
The UCB Student Chapter is strongly supported by the Vertical Flight Society San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, strengthening ties among students, academia, and industry across Northern California. The elected Chapter officers, students in the Aerospace Engineering Program, are:
- Student President: Jordan Kam
- Membership Officer: Bailey Monti
- Treasurer: Leira Roma
- Secretary: Kara Gaiser
- Program Chair: Luis Fonseca