USRA Announces Winners of the 2018 Scholarship Awards

Columbia, MD and Washington DC—November 19, 2018. In keeping with its goal to recognize and develop promising future scientists in space-related disciplines, Universities Space Research Association (USRA) today announced the winners of the prestigious annual USRA Scholarship Award. These scholarships are awarded to outstanding undergraduate students in fields of aerospace engineering and space science through a competitive process. They are granted to students who tackle challenging questions in space research and exploration, particularly astrophysics and astronomy and engineering.

Connor Tinker from Purdue University (third from left) receives a USRA Scholarship Award, with (from left to right) Prof. James Garrison, USRA Council of Institutions Representative, Prof. Briony Horgan, research advisor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, and Prof. Tahira Reid, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The scholarships were established in the memory of individuals who have played a significant role in the fields of planetary science, astrophysics, and aerospace technology.

The 2018 recipients of this coveted award are:

Bryce Cousins (left) receiving the USRA award from Prof Eileen Friel (Council of Institutions Represenatative, Aerospace Engineering, Indiana University)

Mr. Bryce Cousins, a senior astronomy and physics major at Indiana University, Bloomington

--The James B. Willett Memorial Scholarship Award

Philippe Geubelle (Aerospace Engineering, Department Head), Destiny Fawley, USRA award recipient, and Zach Putnam (Council of Institutions Representative, Aerospace Engineering)

Ms. Destiny Fawley, a junior aerospace engineering major at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

--The John R. Sevier Memorial Scholarship Award

Ms. Hannah Lyons, a junior microbiology and cell science major at University of Florida, Gainsville

Prof. Mark E. Law, Director of the University of Florida Honors Programs, presents the USRA Scholarship Award to Hannah Lyons.

--The Frederick A. Tarantino Memorial Scholarship Award

Ms. Mahlet Shiferaw, a senior astrophysics major at Harvard University, Boston

--The Frederick A. Tarantino Memorial Scholarship Award

Prof. Jonathan Grindlay (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, USRA Council of Institutions Representative) congratulates Mahlet Shiferaw on her USRA Scholarship Award

Mr. Connor Tinker, a junior mechanical engineering and planetary sciences major at Purdue University

--The Thomas R. McGetchin Memorial Scholarship Award

“We at USRA are extremely proud of the students who receive these awards,” said Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson, President and Chief Executive Officer, USRA. “They demonstrate not only outstanding scholarship, but an aptitude for basic and applied research that truly sets them apart. Finalists are selected on the basis of their leadership potential and initiative. We congratulate these talented students and wish them a brilliant future.”

The five awardees were selected from a pool of 66 entrants from 55 different universities. The selection was based the students’ self-motivation in their research efforts, the clarity of their career objectives, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside the classroom.

The applications were reviewed by a panel of university faculty members in science and engineering disciplines from among the top tier universities.

Seven other students received an Honorable Mention:

• Mr. Anthony Flores, Physics and Applied Mathematics, Johns Hopkins University
• Mr. Chris Gnam, Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo
• Mr. Barry Holland, Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology
• Ms. Ella Mullikin, Chemical Physics, Wellesley College
• Ms. Kendra Noneman, Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University
• Ms. Hannah O’Brien, Earth Science, University of Notre Dame
• Mr. Jose Torres, Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Mr. Darwyn Ward, Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Fresno

The USRA Scholarship Award Program is an annual award program that provides college scholarship awards to outstanding students who have a career interest in the sciences or engineering with an emphasis on space research, space science education, or aerospace. Information on the USRA Scholarship Award Program is available at https://www.usra.edu/educational-activities-and-opportunities/usra-scholarship-awards/.

About USRA

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA was founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding from NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Department of Energy, and other agencies. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house technical leadership and project management expertise. The governance of USRA is grounded in 110 major research universities. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.