Laura Paquin Awarded 2020 Alexander Brown Scholarship and Leadership Award

Alex Brown

Department of Aerospace Engineering named Ph.D. student Laura Paquin the 2020 Alexander Brown Scholarship and Leadership Award recipient. Award recipients are selected based on demonstrated innovative research practices, visionary leadership, and impressive effort in his or her academic pursuits.

Paquin works with Associate Professor Stuart Laurence in the High-Speed Aerodynamics and Propulsion Lab (HAPL) where she works on projects ranging from temperature-sensitive-paint (TSP) development to Mach-3 particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Tunnel 9.

Her research interests include optical measurement techniques and aerothermodynamics related to reentry flight. Currently her dissertation work investigates the effect of wall-cooling on the boundary-layer stability of a slender cone.

Outside of research, she instructs an undergraduate student seminar in the Flexus program, a two-year living and learning community that was established in 2007 with the goal of promoting diversity and inclusion in the field of engineering. She is the president of the aerospace Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC), a Lockheed Martin Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholar, Future Faculty fellow, and a former National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) fellow.

She received her B.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame and her M.S. from the University of Maryland.

After graduation, she hopes to continue pursuing exciting research in a career as a university professor.

The Alexander Brown Scholarship and Leadership Award consists of a monetary scholarship and a commemorative medal. Established in 2011, this award honors the memory and achievements of the late Alex Brown, who was a Ph.D. candidate in the Aerospace Engineering program. Well known for his energy and great leadership skills, he inspired and encouraged others to excel in education and research, as well as leadership and service. Award recipients are selected based on demonstrated innovative research practices, visionary leadership, and impressive effort in his or her academic pursuits.

Published May 20, 2020