Scholar Profile

Morris Vanegas

Consulting

Biography

Morris graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in Aerospace Engineering with Information Technology. After working as a Spacesuit Designer at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) in Los Angeles, he returned to MIT to earn his dual Masters' degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering. He worked in the Man Vehicle Lab within the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research and the Center for Bits & Atoms within the MIT Media Lab. He has taught university courses, including a digital fabrication course called "How To Make (Almost) Anything" at Northeastern University. He was awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to complete his doctoral work at the Northeastern Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, leading to a patent for his work in the development of a portable brain imager to monitor stroke recovery at home. Along with being a Latino 30 under 30, a Future Faculty Fellow, and an MIT Impact Fellow, Morris has also co-founded TheSecondL, is the founder of Third Spaces, and has directed national and international FabLabs and Makerspaces. He is currently a product specialist and digital transformation consultant with LeadingAgile and serves on the board of The Havenwood Foundation. He currently lives in the mountains of San Bernardino, CA, where you can find him on a hike, bike ride, or an observatory.

High school:  California Academy of Math and Science

Degrees

News and Highlights

01/22/2020 Morris Vanegas (MS '08)

30 under 30: Morris Vanegas, MS '08 was recently named to the Latino 30 under 30 list for his work in an academic specialty in the biomedical engineering of imaging the brain using visible light that was still only partially born. Currently, he is heading an NIH-funded grant to create portable non-invasive neuro-imaging technologies to accelerate stroke recovery. And outside of academia, Morris is the Co-Founder of The Second L, an organization that runs ÉPOCA: a multi-day festival that helps lifelong learners reach their personal and professional self-fulfillment through residential-based learning, experience-based insight, cultural agility, and wellness coaching. Learn more about Morris and his accomplishment here.

06/11/2005 Morris Vanegas (MS '08)

Award Winning. Morris Vanegas, MS ’08, was honored with the L.A.’s BEST After School Enrichment Program Distinguished Alumnus award at their annual Family Brunch on June 5th , for his work tutoring elementary school students.

01/13/2003 Morris Vanegas (MS '08)

All systems go: Mission Assurance Engineer, Morris Vanegas, MS ‘08, was on the console for SpaceX’s Dragon launch, its second commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. He will take a break from the action this fall when he returns to M.I.T. to earn his master’s in Astrophysics / Aeronautics.