Aerospace Engineering Grad Student Wins NDSEG Fellowship

Department of Aerospace Engineering graduate student Cameron Butler was selected for a National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. The NDSEG Fellowship is part of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) commitment to increasing the number and quality of our nation's scientists and engineers, and they awarded only 150 fellowships nationwide for 2017.

Cameron graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. In spring 2015, Cameron came to the University of Maryland and joined Assistant Professor Stuart Laurence's research group in the High-Speed Aerodynamics and Propulsion Laboratory (HAPL) to perform computational investigations of high-speed flows.

These studies include the characterization of ethylene combustion within a cavity-stabilized scramjet combustor as well as aerodynamic analysis of a Mach 8 sphere-cone reentry capsule. More recently, his research efforts have shifted towards characterization of high-altitude turbulence as it relates to boundary layer transition. He has also been involved in the design and construction of HyperTerp, HAPL's reflected shock tunnel facility. After obtaining his Ph.D., Cameron hopes to obtain a position as a government researcher with the ultimate goal of using the expertise gained from his work to secure a faculty position.

NDSEG Fellowships are highly competitive, portable awards granted to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in one of fifteen supported disciplines, including aerospace and aeronautical engineering.

The NDSEG confers high honors upon its recipients, and allows them to attend whichever U.S. institution they choose. NDSEG Fellowships last for three years and pay for full tuition and all mandatory fees along with a monthly stipend and medical insurance support.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded nearly 3,400 NDSEG fellowships since the program began in 1989.

Published May 19, 2017