Alumni Spotlight

Julius Wanner - Class of 2015

We are proud to spotlight Julius Wanner. After completing his IB diploma at Haut-Lac, he went on to pursue his passion for aerospace engineering and the development of robots for use on earth and in space.

Julius is currently focusing on bird-inspired drone flight in cluttered environments for his PhD at the EPFL. His research explores the synergies of aerodynamics and control theory to leverage the agility of a novel morphing drone that is capable of flying missions, which require both long-distance flight and precise navigation through forests and urban areas.

After his time at Haut-Lac, Julius’ academic commitment enabled him to gather a vast array of engineering experiences. His journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at ETH Zurich, alongside which he actively participated in the organisation of preparatory exam courses and teaching activities for university students.

Taking advantage of the hands-on project opportunities offered during this programme, he joined Swissloop, one of 20 selected student teams competing at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition in 2018. Towards the end of his bachelor’s curriculum, he discovered a strong passion for aviation and space technologies, which prompted him to continue along this path in his further studies.

His academic journey has taken him to multiple destinations around the globe. Before returning to ETH for the start of his Master’s, he spent an exchange semester at the National University of Singapore and interned at a rocket manufacturing company in Germany. He then spent a year in the United States, first joining the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as a visiting researcher to write his master's thesis on a ground-robot guided balloon concept for Martian exploration. This experience led to an internship at the prominent NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked on simulations for the deployment of a novel Martian helicopter, a successive project to the "Ingenuity" Helicopter, the first powered flight vehicle on Mars.

Looking ahead, Julius envisions his future in the fields of robotics and space engineering. He hopes to merge both fields by developing new aerial robots for planetary exploration.

Reflecting on his time at Haut-Lac, Julius fondly remembers the excursions to Les Sciernes, ski racing trips, and the simple yet enjoyable moments of playing foosball or pool during breaks. The family-like environment provided a great balance to academic life and made the school years all the more memorable.

For current students, Julius offers this advice: "Use the opportunities you have to explore new places and join diverse and challenging projects during your studies. With your international school background, you have the great ability to adapt to new environments and be open to different ideas. There doesn’t always have to be a coherent plan for the distant future — take time to discover your strengths, follow your interests, and keep putting in the effort to reach the next step. Build friendships and connections in different places and take away some fun memories along the way!

We congratulate Julius on his achievements and look forward to seeing the impact he will continue to have in his career. The sky’s the limit!