What years did you participate in UROP?

2017-2018

What UROP Program(s) were you a part of?

Traditional UROP as a Freshman

- Engineering Discipline

What made you choose UROP?

It was the perfect way to get technical experience early on and get a front-row seat at the world of research.

What do you think you have learned from your UROP experience?

Research is a constantly changing open ended process; goals can change based on results of experiments, and it forces you to be flexible in your approach to problems.

What is the extent to which you have kept in contact with your Research Mentor?

Little contact after a year later.

How did your UROP experience shape or inform the next steps you took in your academic and professional journey?

UROP had a huge direct impact on my next steps, as I got involved in research with my department (aerospace engineering) the following school year and stayed with that group for ~2 years. After that, my internships (and eventual full-time role) have been very R&D focused, and I feel that UROP and the subsequent research experience prepared me very well for the scrappy, sometimes chaotic nature of the R&D world.

Where are you in your professional journey?

I am currently a master's student at Michigan getting my M.S.E in aerospace engineering with a structures focus. I am also working part-time as a Stress Analyst for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and once I graduate with my master's in May 2022, I will transition to full-time for Lockheed.

What advice would you give to a current UROP student?

The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. It's difficult and feels strange to prioritize something that is not traditional academics but the more effort you put into these out of classroom activities early on, the better it will be for your career down the line.