Find Your Way

By Logan Hamel

When I began my studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison I was unsure which career path to choose. I anticipated that I would enjoy engineering due to my success in mathematics and physics as well as my love for problem solving. However, I was not ready to select a specific discipline within engineering. During my second semester I began to realize that a degree in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics would be an excellent fit. This degree would allow me to maximize my coursework in my favorite subject, classical mechanics. Furthermore, the degree would provide the opportunity to move into the aerospace industry which was a thought that created additional motivation. I believe that through exploration of our solar system, we will learn valuable information about ourselves and begin to better understand our place within this universe. Despite my excitement about my new major, as a freshman I was still not completely confident in my decision. I also believed civil engineering would be a good fit for me as it would allow me to make a more direct impact in the community. However, as I continued my coursework and studied topics including structural mechanics and advanced dynamics, I became increasingly confident in my decision to pursue Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics.

As a junior at UW-Madison I was lucky enough to be selected for the engineering co-op program at United Space Alliance (USA). I moved to Houston, TX to work in the Ascent/Descent Flight Design department. I was very excited and my time at USA was everything that I hoped it would be. I learned a great deal about NASA’s space shuttle program and I performed analysis on the sensitivity of shuttle contingency abort scenarios to monthly weather fluctuations. The experience made me realize how important my role as an engineer would be and thus it motivated me to work even harder when I returned to school in the fall.

Last year I returned to school to pursue my Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. At Georgia Tech my work has been focused on advanced rotorcraft design which was new to me at first, but I have found it to be a fascinating field of research. I will soon be graduating and I cannot wait to continue making my contributions to the aerospace engineering industry.

There have been two main highlights within my experience of engineering thus far. The first was the patenting of my senior design project, a ladder load lifting device. I was very excited to receive a patent so early in my career. It made me realize how much opportunity there is to impact our community through engineering. The second highlight was my experience as a member of Georgia Tech’s graduate student team which won first prize in NASA’s fundamental aeronautics program competition for the design of a supersonic airliner. I am very proud of the amount of progress my team was able accomplish in such a short time during the competition. The best part of each experience was working side by side with other motivated students who are equally passionate about aerospace design.

I believe that through hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck all students will eventually find their way into a career which is motivating and inspiring.