2024 Scholarship Award Recipients

At this year’s Michigan Aerospace Homecoming event, six students were presented various awards and scholarships, honoring their academic achievements and excellence towards the aerospace engineering industry. Join us in congratulating the following students: 

The Martin & Ann Sichel Master’s Award For Outstanding Achievement 

The Martin & Ann Sichel Award was established in honor of Professor Emeritus Marty Sichel, a leading expert in the areas of explosions, detonations and heterogeneous combustion science; and his wife Anne, who was active in the U-M Faculty Women’s Club and the Ann Arbor League of Women Voters. The Fund provides support for graduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering including, but not limited to, travel expenses, conference fees and experiential learning opportunities. Congratulations to Peter Dunphy and Alejandro Roa Quintero.

Dunphy received a BE in Mechanical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 2023 and will be obtaining his Aerospace Engineering MSE in Aerodynamics and Propulsion in December of 2024 with thoughts of pursuing a PhD. He has been working with Professor Margaret Wooldridge in the Wooldridge Combustion Laboratory, conducting spherical flame speed experiments and is currently researching the impact hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) has on methane-air flame speeds. 

“I am very grateful to receive the Martin and Anne Sichel Award, it means a lot to know my hard work is paying off. My work at the University of Michigan has advanced my understanding and has further increased my interest in the field of combustion. I look to continue to conduct research in combustion/propulsion in the future.”

Roa Quintero is currently in a dual degree program, getting a Diplôme d’Ingénieur from CentraleSupélec in France, equivalent to an MS Degree, in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering after receiving his MSE in Aerospace Engineering from U-M. Roa Quintero will graduate in December 2024 and plans to continue with a PhD. He has been working with Professor Christopher Limbach on an advanced two-color interferometry-based diagnostic to measure electron density in plasmas forming behind shockwaves. This past summer he interned at the Aerothermodynamics Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, working in non-equilibrium gas-phase chemistry applied to Earth atmospheric reentry. Additionally, he is on the U-M Men’s Ultimate Frisbee B Team, representing the University at the regional and national level.

“Being awarded the Martin & Anne Sichel Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Aerospace Engineering Master’s Program means a lot to me as it is a validation of all the hard work I’ve done over the past years, and I’m incredibly honored and excited to receive this award. I’ve had some of the best times working with some of the brightest minds in the field, both the faculty members from the department and my fellow peers, and would like to show my appreciation to everyone who has helped me feel at home in Ann Arbor.”

The Isaac, Vera, Gayle, Karen and Carol Bagley Endowed Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Fund

The Isaac, Vera, Gayle, Karen and Carol Bagley Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Fund is used at the discretion of the Chair of the Aerospace Department to support priorities and needs that benefit undergraduate students within the department. Established by alumna Karen Ann Bagley Albrecht (BSE Aero 1972) as an endowed scholarship, the award recognizes outstanding Aerospace Engineering students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Congratulations to Peter Belkin on receiving this award.

Belkin is a senior this year at the University of Michigan and spent the summer of 2024 interning at SpaceX as a structures engineer on the Dragon Capsule Team. At the University of Michigan, he has participated in research for classified projects as part of a MBSE lab’s corporate partnership with Leidos and served as the Chief Engineer of the Michigan-Blue Origin Payload (M-BOP) Team, a project team also in the MBSE lab dedicated to sending payloads to space aboard New Shepard rockets. Additionally, Belkin is currently the Treasurer and member on the board of the Sigma Gamma Tau (SGT) Aerospace Engineering Honor Society. 

“I am honored to be receiving this award from the department, and very grateful to be selected. I am very proud of my time in the Aerospace Department at the University of Michigan.”

The Wilmarth Prize in Aerospace Engineering 

The Wilmarth Prize is given in honor of an outstanding experimental PhD dissertation with a preference for research in fundamental fluid dynamics, given on behalf of Timothy and Sally Wei. Dr. Timothy Wei received his PhD in Aerospace from the University of Michigan under the guidance of the late Professor Wilmarth. Congratulations to this year’s recipient, Alexander Feleo.

Feleo recently completed his PhD in May 2024, with Professor Mirko Gamba as an advisor. He has been awarded the Wilmarth Prize for work towards his dissertation, which experimentally investigated rotating detonation combustors (RDCs), which are novel energy-conversion devices that seek to supplant traditional deflagration combustors. Specifically, Feleo focussed on the theoretical and experimental quantification of the thermodynamic benefit of RDCs.   

“I am truly honored that the committee has deemed my dissertation to be of outstanding quality, as it was the culmination of many years of experimental testing with a myriad of challenges faced along the way. It is extremely validating that my work has been recognized as a valuable and significant contribution to the wider field of propulsion research.”

The Karen Anne Bagley Albrecht Scholarship Award

The endowed Karen Bagley Albrecht Scholarship Fund grants support to undergraduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Established by alumna and long standing IAB member Karen Ann (Bagley) Albrecht (BSE Aero ’72), the grant will also be matched by the University’s Bicentennial Opportunity Matching Initiative. Congratulations to Ilyana Smith on receiving this distinction.

Smith is a senior this year, finishing the last of her courses for her undergraduate degree while also taking graduate-level courses in the U-M Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE) Department, which she is planning to transfer towards a Master’s to supplement her Aerospace Bachelor’s Degree. Additionally, she is currently the Engineering Co-President of Bioastronautics and Life Support Systems (BLiSS), a student project team that works on NASA-funded projects designed to further human spaceflight. Smith has been a part of BLiSS for the past three years and served as a Project Lead for one of their projects last year.

“I’m honored to receive the Karen Albrecht scholarship. I’m very proud to be recognized for the hard work I’ve put into my degree thus far,” commented Smith

The Luis Bernal Award 

The Luis Bernal Award honors Professor Luis Bernal. His world-class expertise and profound involvement with students made lasting contributions to the Aerospace Department. Known for his generosity, sense of humor, optimism and overall dedication to students, a fundraising campaign started shortly after his death to make the Luis Bernal Memorial Student Award possible. This year’s recipient is Chloe Nguyen, congratulations!

Nguyen is a Senior in the Aerospace Engineering Department planning to graduate this Fall, 2024, and has been working in the CubeSat Flight Lab in AERO 495. “I appreciate the recognition for the Luis Bernal Award and the support from the aero staff.”