I’m Andrew Tunell, a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin. I work on nanoscale surface adhesion, dust-mitigating nanostructures for space exploration, and hands-on engineering projects ranging from home-lab servers to custom hardware.
I design and build hardware systems that merge mechanics, electronics, and software. This includes nanoscale research tools, microcontroller-powered automation, and 3D-printed prototypes that make everyday tasks more innovative and reliable.
I build tools that blend local AI, automation, and custom code to solve real problems. From running models on my home server to creating full pipelines for image generation and smart devices, I focus on practical, fast, and flexible software.
My work focuses on nanoscale adhesion, dust-mitigating surface structures, and electrostatic interactions in lunar environments. I publish across experimental surface science, nanomanufacturing, and applied modeling, with an emphasis on turning fundamental physics into practical engineered surfaces.
Please check below for my Google Scholar – or my Highlighted works page!
I am an avid potter and painter! I have been throwing on the wheel since I was 14, and painting since birth!
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I have been doing pottery since I was 14 years old, when I found a love for it at Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in downtown Dallas.
I left Booker T. as I wanted a more STEM-focused education to prepare me for a degree in engineering. Therefore, I transferred to Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas. However, my thirst for a creative outlet was not satisfied until I began pottery throwing classes at CAC Dallas, with an excellent teacher, I fell in love, and the rest is history.
After several years of classes at CAC, I decided I was ready to work on my own. I was gifted a pottery wheel from one of my neighbors, and purchased a kiln on eBay.
This was the foundation of Anthill pottery.
I sold ceramic pieces on ETSY for several years, but as I went to college, balancing my school work and operating my ceramics business became very difficult (as they were in different cities).