Youssef Abdelhalim Reflects after Graduating with Honors and Tackling Pioneering Rocket Research
Abdelhalim graduated in June with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering.
It’s difficult to get more from four years than Youssef Abdelhalim did during his time in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern Engineering.
Abdelhalim graduated in June with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering. He earned the 2025 Ovid W. Eshbach Award, a McCormick-level honor that recognizes overall excellence in scholarship and leadership to a graduate who, in the opinion of students and faculty, most closely typifies the ideal engineering student.
Abdelhalim also spent two years working with classmates and assistant professor of instruction Jeremy Keys on hybrid rocket engines through “Project Ceres,” which involved the design and optimization of a 3D-printed hybrid rocket engine.
Abdelhalim served as the test stand construction lead, communicating with suppliers and negotiating discounted prices, and working with University administration to facilitate on-campus testing. Through this project, Abdelhalim and his teammates presented at the 2025 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference and hot-fired the engine multiple times.
“Professor Keys struck the perfect balance between providing help and guidance when we needed it and letting us do our thing without restricting our creativity,” Abdelhalim said. “The research experience for the two years was very fruitful, especially since we all came in with an engineering background and were super-excited to build, test, and fire. Professor Keys taught us how to conduct proper research, with a well-defined hypothesis, test groups, data analysis, and more.
“This was my first time conducting research and I learned a ton about the process through this project.”
Beyond that project – which won awards for the judges’ favorite poster and fans’ favorite poster at the 2024 Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate/Graduate Symposium –
Abdelhalim was a member of the Northwestern University Space Technology and Rocketry Society (NUSTARS) and the University’s Formula racing team. He has a patent pending for a personal project (Portable and Controllable Snow-Melting Devices and Systems) and earned a patent during an internship with Ford (Method and Apparatus for Adaptive Control and Real-Time Edge Tracking of Adhesive and Sealer Dispensing).
“My brain is wired to enjoy problem solving, designing, testing, building, analyzing, and iterating,” Abdelhalim said. “I looked through the list of possible majors and nothing else could have fed my passions and desires. And I realized then that I was born to become a mechanical engineer.”