MABE alumna and Cookeville, Tennessee native Hannah Hajdik (BS AE ’20) has been honored with two prestigious awards: the Amelia Earhart Fellowship and the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences’ John McCarthy Student Award.
The Amelia Earhart Fellowship was established by Zonta International in 1938 in honor of famed pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart. Each year, the organization awards a $10,000 fellowship to up to 30 women around the globe who are pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. Hajdik received the fellowship in recognition of her superior academic performance and research contributions to improving geometry modeling for designing and optimizing the next generation of sustainable aircraft.
The John McCarthy Student Award was established by ICAS to promote the work of young researchers in aeronautics. Hajdik received the award, which included a monetary gift, at the 34th Congress of ICAS in Italy last month for her paper titled, “Aerodynamic shape optimization of filleted intersections with surface mesh deformation.”
While a student at UT, Hajdik worked as an undergraduate researcher on the NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI) project under the direction of MABE Associate Professor and Jessie Rogers Zeanah Faculty Fellow Stephanie TerMaath.
Hajdik is currently pursuing her PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan.
“It feels validating to get these awards and have my research recognized,” said Hajdik. “It’s a nice high note to go out as I wrap up my PhD.”
Hajdik would like to encourage other students to use their undergraduate years to try out any areas of interest.
“My undergraduate research and co-op experience helped me figure out my next step,” said Hajdik. “Dr. TerMaath’s mentorship also played a critical role in making my path to a PhD possible.”