Celebrating Black Aerospace Engineers: Spencer Stebbins

black history month

In celebration of Black History Month, the Department of Aerospace Engineering is highlighting some of our talented and diverse alumni through a series of stories sharing their journeys and advice for aspiring aerospace engineers.

Spencer Stebbins ’14 is currently a Senior Aerodynamics Engineer at Stratolaunch. In this role, he analyzes data from computational fluid dynamics simulations (CFD), wind tunnels tests, and flight tests in order to support the development of hypersonics capabilities. Prior to his career at Stratolaunch, he worked on both a multitude of aircraft at Lockheed Martin and the Boeing 747 air-launched rocket at Virgin Orbit.

After graduating from the University of Maryland, with both Aerospace Honors and University Honors, he went on to complete his master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in 2023 with a focus in computational analysis of icing aerodynamics.

Outside of work, he loves all things outdoors and frequently goes hiking, camping, biking, and skiing.

How did you get started on your aerospace engineering journey?

My love for the aerospace field stems from the many times I visited the National Air and Space Museum as I was growing up. I would gawk at the aircraft around me and dream of being an astronaut or pilot. While I didn’t know it at the time, those dreams, combined with my love for both art and science in high school, would be the factors that led me to decide to start my journey into aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland.

Who and/or what inspires you?

I have had many great teachers and mentors over the years. While there are far too many to name, I appreciate every single one of them, and will highlight my undergrad and graduate school advisors: Dr. Alison Flatau and Dr. Eric Loth. They inspired me, because I not only saw the passion they had for their field, but also how they treated others and sought to be a better person every day.

As to what inspires me, I would say pushing the limits of what we can achieve as humans. The SR-71, F-22, and A-10 are my favorite aircraft, and they highlight very unique capabilities where aerospace engineering has pushed the boundaries.

What has helped you succeed in your aerospace journey?

I would say there are two major things that have helped me: people and accountability. I have met a lot of people that have served as teachers, mentors, supervisors, co-workers and friends. I wholeheartedly believe I wouldn’t be where I am without the people I have met along the way.

As to accountability, this is a characteristic I hold close to me. I have made a lot of mistakes over the years and I do my best to own those mistakes. Success is defined not only by your accomplishments, but also your failures, and how you respond to them. Accountability is extremely important across the engineering field because the work we do as engineers can and will affect others.

What advice would you offer to current students?

While you can succeed by yourself, I believe continual success is possible when you surround yourself with the right friends and mentors/advisors.

You are in aerospace engineering because you are passionate about the field, and that passion can drive you far in your academic career. However, we all need help now and then. The people you interact with throughout your journey can help you when you have questions or have reached a wall, and help you take the next step to long-term success.

What have been some of your greatest personal/professional successes?

I believe my greatest personal/professional success has been my somewhat unique academic and career journey over the last decade.

For the majority of the time I was in grad school, I completed my degrees while also working full time. I’ve been able to work with Rolls Royce, NASA, Lockheed Martin - Skunk Works, Virgin Orbit, and Stratolaunch—all of which have been great companies with amazing people.

Published February 26, 2025