AAE grad student selected as prestigious NDSEG Fellow
Alexis Harroun was selected to receive a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG), given by the Department of Defense.
Harroun will earn her master’s degree from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in May and enroll in AAE’s Ph.D. program in the fall.
NDSEG Fellowships last for a period of up to three years and cover full tuition and mandatory fees. Fellows also receive a monthly stipend of $3,200 and up to $1,200 a year in medical insurance. The NDSEG Fellowship is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research office, and the Office of Naval Research under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The NDSEG Fellowship is highly competitive. Since its inception in 1989, NDSEG has awarded nearly 3,600 fellowships from over 58,000 applications to U.S. citizens and nationals who pursue a doctoral degree in one of 15 supported disciplines at a U.S. institution of their choosing.
Harroun’s master’s thesis research has centered on computational research into how to design a rocket nozzle for a rotating detonation engine. Specifically, she has designed and tested an aerospike nozzle for RDEs.
Harroun’s proposed doctoral research is to investigate the use of condensed phase propellants for application on rocket RDEs. Stephen Heister, a professor in AAE, will remain her advisor.
“I am truly excited to have been chosen for the NDSEG fellowship. I applied for the NDSEG to fund my doctoral research into rotating detonation rocket engine technologies. This fellowship will give me the opportunity to pursue new intellectual avenues and hopefully, make new discoveries to make better rocket engines,” says Harroun, who was selected as one of “Tomorrow’s Leaders: The 20 Twenties” by Aviation Week Network, in collaboration with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), earlier this year.