Dhairya Mittal

Research Assistant @ University of Maryland | BS Fire Protection Engineering, BA Economics

College Park, Maryland, United States

About

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection Engineering and Economics at the University of Maryland. Contributing to a funded research project under the guidance of Prof. William E. Koffel. I am an Incoming Research & Development Intern at Fire & Risk Alliance, where I aim to further their expertise in fire safety systems and risk assessment. My previous experience includes a Marketing and Production Internship at Hari Kishan & Co., where I optimized production processes and built an inventory catalog for the company’s home brand. I value collaborative problem-solving and aim to bring analytical thinking and a detail-oriented mindset to my roles. My goal is to integrate my academic background and hands-on experiences to contribute to innovative fire protection solutions.

Experience

  • Fire Protection Engineer at Karpinski Engineering
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

  • Research Assistant at University of Maryland - A. James Clark School of Engineering
    Feb 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

    Actively contributing to a research project funded by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, focusing on evaluating the current use of NFPA 101A, Guide on Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, and the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES). Under the guidance of Prof. William E. Koffel, P.E., FSFPE, SASHE, this research aims to assess how widely the FSES is used, identify key stakeholders, determine its applications across various occupancies, and explore its effectiveness in modern fire safety practices.

  • Research & Development Intern at Fire & Risk Alliance, LLC
    May 2025 - Aug 2025 · 4 mos

    Contributed to fire and energy storage safety research through a mix of policy analysis, lab work, and technical documentation. Analyzed three editions of NFPA 855 (2020, 2023, 2026) to identify key regulatory changes and support Maryland's policy alignment efforts, with findings presented at the SFPE Symposium. Collaborated with the R&D team to design and execute deflagration and large-scale fire tests on lithium-ion batteries per NFPA 68 and UL 9540A standards. Sized a lab hood sampling system by calculating friction losses across variable-diameter tubing to determine pump flow and power requirements for gas analyzer delivery. Processed post-test datasets in MATLAB and produced technical reports in LaTeX for reproducible, compliant documentation.

  • Marketing and Production Intern at Hari Kishan & Co.
    Mar 2023 - Aug 2024 · 1 yr 6 mos

    Served as an intern for a steel utensil manufacturer and supported production to optimize production processes. Represented the firm at two exhibitions (Vibrant India) handling 100+ inquiries and identifying 15+ exporters. Gained essential knowledge of Hydraulic Presses, Power Presses, and CNC. Supervised the production team in the die tool changing process, streamlining the process and decreasing the required time by 25%. Screened over 20 potential traders in the field, examining their firm and its network. Compiled a complete inventory catalog for the company’s home brand.

  • Founder at Matritva
    Mar 2022 - Jun 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Providing a healthy pregnancy experience to women in different villages of India