ANNOUNCING THE ASPIRING SPACE INDUSTRY LEADERS SELECTED FOR THE 2021 CLASS OF THE MATTHEW ISAKOWITZ FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Thirty College and Graduate Students Chosen for Highly Selective Fellowship Program that Connects Exceptional Individuals with Internships, Mentors, and an Incredible Network in the Commercial Spaceflight Sector
(February 4, 2021) The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program—a summer internship and executive mentorship program inspiring the next generation of commercial spaceflight leaders—announced today the 30 individuals selected for its 2021 class. Now in its fourth year, the highly selective program awards exceptional college juniors, seniors, and graduate students pursuing aerospace careers with paid internships at cutting-edge commercial space companies. Fellows also receive one-on-one mentorship from accomplished members of the space community, including astronauts, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and others. Additionally, the program features a memorable summit during which the Fellows learn about space start-ups, network with top industry leaders, and develop entrepreneurial skills.
For the 2021 class, the program received its largest response yet, with applications from more than 280 students from over 100 colleges. Applicants were rigorously screened for academic excellence, relevant experience, and, most importantly, a demonstrated passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercial space. The enthusiasm about the Fellowship comes at an especially exciting time in commercial space, as an unprecedented number of new companies are transforming the space program. This past year saw new rockets achieving orbit, astronauts being flown in new private vehicles, small spacecrafts launched in record numbers, and major increases in private investments. This has created a large increase in students inspired by these new opportunities to demonstrate novel technologies, protect the environment, connect the world, and explore the planets.
See below for the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program’s Class of 2021, including each Fellow’s current school and Summer 2021 host company. (Schools where they previously earned degrees are indicated in parentheses). A full bio for each Fellow and more information is available online.
Michael Adeyi, Yale University — Stratolaunch
Raghav Bhagwat, The Ohio State University — Intuitive Machines
Sidney Boakye, George Mason University — Rocket Lab
Sam Boling, University of Michigan — Momentus
Madeline Bowne, Georgia Institute of Technology (Rutgers University) — Made In Space
Lucy Brown, Stanford University — SpaceX
Matthew Campbell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Aerospace Corporation
Sarah Chu, Georgia Institute of Technology (Smith College) — Analytical Space
Mary Cooper, Stanford University — Nanoracks
Anthony Danna, University of Colorado Boulder (University of Oklahoma) — Relativity Space
Chava Friedman, University of Colorado Boulder (Pitzer College) — Commercial Spaceflight Federation
Amelia Gagnon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (University of North Dakota) — SpaceX
Maor Gozalzani, Purdue University — Virgin Orbit
Kadin Hendricks, Stanford University — Roccor
Khalil Jones, University of Washington — The Spaceship Company
Ray Martin, Rutgers University — Blue Origin
Halen Mattison, Stanford University (North Carolina State University) — ABL Space Systems
Thomas McBride, Princeton University — Roccor
Kelly Reid, University of Southern California (San Diego State University) — Axiom Space
Thomas G. Roberts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Princeton University) — Planet
Roberto Rodriguez-Otero, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez — Virgin Galactic
Alay Shah, The University of Alabama in Huntsville — Blue Origin
Miles Simpkins, Princeton University — Momentus
Hannah Tomio, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Tohoku University, Carnegie Mellon University) — Made In Space
Brianne Treffner, Colorado School of Mines — Millennium Space Systems
David Dezell Turner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Des Moines Area Community College) — Aerospace Corporation
Gautham Viswaroopan, University of California, Los Angeles (University of Colorado Boulder) — Aerospace Corporation
Reiley Weekes, University of California San Diego — ABL Space Systems
Brit Wylie, California Institute of Technology — Rocket Lab
Amber Yang, Stanford University — Astranis
At the end of the summer, the Fellows will remain among a group of alumni who can continue to network with this program, their mentors, and past and future Fellows, on the path to becoming future space industry icons. The previous three classes of Matthew Isakowitz Fellows are continuing to excel in their academic and professional careers, with many taking on volunteer roles to contribute to the continued success of the Fellowship program. The list of Alumni Fellows is available online.
The program has also added a number of new participants to its lists of host companies and executive mentors for Summer 2021. The new host companies include Analytical Space, Axiom Space, Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Intuitive Machines, and Momentus. The new executive mentors include retired US Air Force Major General Ed Bolton, former NASA astronauts Fred Gregory and Sandy Magnus, Sierra Nevada Corporation Chairwoman and President Eren Ozmen, and former Executive Secretary of the National Space Council Scott Pace. The full lists of companies and mentors are available online.
The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program thanks its alumni Fellows, donors, host companies, mentors, volunteers, and partners, including the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program and Future Space Leaders.
ABOUT THE MATTHEW ISAKOWITZ FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization honoring the memory of an engineer, entrepreneur, and extraordinary individual whose passion for commercial space exploration led to great strides in the industry and inspired all who knew him. The Program seeks to instill that same enthusiasm into the next generation of commercial spaceflight leaders by providing impactful career training to those who embody Matthew's drive for exploring our universe to help better humankind. Ad Astra.
Learn more at matthewisakowitzfellowship.org and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn (@mattfellowship).
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