Ethan Beyak, a doctoral student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been awarded a 2018 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. He is among 69 fellows nationwide offered the highly competitive award in recognition of his academic excellence and science, technology, engineering
Awardees receive full tuition and all mandatory fees coverage for up to three years at any accredited U.S. college or university that provides advanced degrees in science and engineering, and a monthly stipend of $3,200. In addition, fellows receive up to $1,200 annually for health insurance coverage, and up to two trips per year for training and/or conferences that support their educational initiatives (all expenses paid based on the government travel policy).
Beyak is conducting his research in "Transition Prediction via Stability of Hypersonic Boundary Layers in Thermochemical Nonequilibrium" under the direction of Dr. Helen Reed, professor in the department.
He graduated from the University of Arizona in 2016 with bachelor’s degrees both in mechanical engineering (honors) and in mathematics, and a minor in aerospace engineering. As an undergraduate student, Beyak conducted experimental research in shock/boundary-layer interactions under the direction of Dr. Jesse Little, and he also has experience as a systems engineer with Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona, in modeling, simulations and analysis.
Started in 1989, NDSEG has awarded nearly 3,600 fellowships to U.S. Residents and nationals who pursue a doctoral degree in one of 15 supported disciplines at a U.S. institution. The NDSEG Fellowship Program 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 Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. This program is administered by Solutions Through Innovative Technologies, Inc.