Beginnings of Grad School

Last week, I began my Master’s in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. Having done my undergraduate work here in the same department, it hasn’t been too much of an adjustment just yet. I’m working under Dr. Rouser who I did undergraduate research with last year, many of my classmates are familiar faces, and I’m continuing to work on rockets. My decision to continue my studies at OSU came largely from Dr. Rouser’s influence and energy for aerospace propulsion. While he is a jet engine guy from the Air Force Academy, he recognizes the growing interest of rockets, and together we’re working to bring more topics in rocketry into his undergraduate propulsion course, develop a rocket propulsion graduate course from scratch, and establish research areas also in rockets, whether it be solid propellants, liquid engines, or both. This opportunity to create new academic coursework and build Oklahoma State as the propulsion center of the state and region was my driving factor to continue at OSU. I could be taking classes devoted to space propulsion with vast research infrastructure at other universities around the country, but here I can make a real impact for other students to grow OSU’s capabilities in all forms of aerospace propulsion. 

I’m employed quarter time as a graduate research assistant (GRA), and my work this semester is seeking funding opportunities. NASA is my best bet, so I’m working with my mentor from this summer to write a NASA Oklahoma EPSCoR Travel Grant. If approved, Dr. Rouser and I will be funded to visit a NASA center to meet with engineers and managers to understand what research areas they are interested in and work collaboratively on a project. This will hopefully lead to a Research Initiation Grant (RIG) that will establish more long-term research opportunities. I’m also seeking a NASA Fellowship Activity. While other grad students have gone straight into technical work, I’m seeking my own funding, which is just as important in my eyes. I feel it will show even more initiative and drive to explain that I proposed my own research and secured the funding to make it happen. I just want to make sure I can pull it off.

I’m also working quarter time as a teaching assistant (TA) for Dr. Rouser’s undergraduate aerospace propulsion course. I grade and teach parts of the class as needed, which I’m enjoying so far. Once the airbreathing part of the course wraps up in mid-November, the two of us will teach four lessons on rocket propulsion which I’m excited for. It’ll include theory as well as a mission analysis lesson.  

For coursework, I’m enrolled in a guidance and control class, an online statistics course that should help with future data parsing, and a business and entrepreneurship class. I applied to be a CIE (Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship) Scholar and was accepted earlier this month, so throughout the fall, I am working as an NSF-funded researcher as part of that class. The emphasis is taking graduate-level research topics and developing a business plan to bring that research to market in the form of a startup company. I’m grouped with two business students to determine the feasibility and market for a new and improved IV machine. Currently, many IV machines are loud and disruptive to overnight patients or dispense medication at improper flow rates or incorrect doses altogether. We’re conducting market research by interviewing patients, doctors, nurses, and I’m even exploring possible uses in the veterinary world. This is probably the most diverse range of classes I’ve taken, and I’m looking forward to the introduction of business workings. I still want to get an MBA in the coming years, so I hope this will be especially beneficial.

It has been a full first 10 days of grad school, and I can only imagine how much more it will pick up as the weeks go by. The first AIAA meeting took place last night, and with entirely new club officers, it too is off to a good start. There appears to be plenty of fresh interest in the rocketry team, and we’ll all head out to Airfest this weekend in Kansas for the first launch of the new academic year. 

My roommate Charlie, Sam, and me on our first day.