McCormick Student Lands Patti Grace Smith Fellowship in Aerospace

Barkot Simegn, a third-year mechanical engineering student, has become the first Northwestern student to receive a Patti Grace Smith Fellowship.

The fellowship program connects students and faculty members at colleges and universities around the United States with American companies and institutions working in aerospace. Fellows are selected following an extensive review and selection process. 

Through the fellowship, Simegn will work as a vehicle design intern this summer at aerospace company Ursa Major Technology, which is working toward launching the Draper rocket engine. He will contribute to the design, analysis, integration, and test of a hypersonic vehicle. Working within a small team, Simegn aims to develop hardware that pushes the limits of reliability and functionality to enable the company’s engines to be best in class.

“My project will be mission-critical for the expected launch of the Draper rocket engine in late 2026,” he said. “Having the opportunity to do work that touches areas I’m familiar with such as additive manufacturing, but that also leave me room to grow and learn more about propulsion, is why having an impactful project is so significant to me.”

Importantly for his development, Simegn will be an active member of the team. He will learn about aerospace engineering as an industry, talking and working with established professionals.

“This connects with my concentration, past research, and having the opportunity to apply my coursework in simulation and computer-assisted design to real engineering problems,” said Simegn, whose concentration is on aerospace engineering.

Another significant part of the fellowship is an industry summit scheduled in Washington, DC, that will count industry leaders, CEOs, and policymakers on the guest list.

“Career advice is the biggest thing I am looking forward to gaining. The people I will get to network with were all in a similar position to me once, and seeing not only where they are, but more importantly, how they got there, can help me plan my future career moves and education,” Simegn said. “Additionally, the diversity of perspectives I will hear is vital. No two paths are the same, and people often end up in different places than they intend. Getting a preview of what that looks like can help me be more flexible in an ever-evolving labor market.”