PhD Engineer | Physics, Math, Made Intuitive

Arjen D.

I’m an aerospace engineer and physicist with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and a BSc and MSc in Astrophysics. Over the years I’ve worked at places like NASA, Porsche, and Ferrari, and later started my own company building patented airflow products, AirTulip, which I recently pitched on Shark Tank. My foundation is deeply technical, but I’ve always had a passion for making complex ideas accessible, whether in physics, thermo, or just good old-fashioned problem solving.

I’ve been teaching since high school—starting with helping peers make sense of math and physics, and continuing throughout university and my career. I tend to work hands-on and conversationally, finding where someone gets stuck, and then approaching it from different angles until things click. I use a mix of metaphors, estimation, and real-world systems to build understanding, not just repetition. My favorite course ever was “Order of Magnitude Estimation” at UC Berkeley, and I still use that mindset: does the answer make sense? What would I expect? What’s the big picture?

I work one-on-one with high school students who are struggling with physics, math, or science, and also with university students and adults looking to deepen their technical understanding. My focus is on real comprehension—when something sticks and truly makes sense, performance improves naturally. This will lead to better grades, not just once but overall; the real win is becoming confident, curious, and proactive in the subject. That shift changes how you approach problems—not just in class, but everywhere else too.