Graduate fellowship to propel fluid dynamics research for Mitchell Albrecht
Mitchell B. Albrecht, a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded a National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) to continue his research on fluid dynamics at Michigan State University.
Albrecht works in MSU's Turbulent Mixing and Unsteady Aerodynamics Laboratory (TMUAL). His PhD advisors are Manoochehr Koochesfahani, professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development, and Ahmed Naguib, professor of mechanical engineering.
His research goal is to better describe aircraft landing and micro air vehicle aerodynamics. He studies the unsteady aerodynamics of low Reynolds number airfoils in shear flow using molecular tagging velocimetry for flow characterization and a load cell for force measurements. The experiments take place in the closed-loop water tunnel test facility at TMUAL.
"I'll use my graduate degree to pursue a career in spaceflight technology and space exploration research, in either the private or government sector," Albrecht said. "I hope to support humanity's endeavor to understand the universe."
Albrecht is originally from Ghent, N.Y. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, with a minor in mathematics, at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. He spent two years at General Dynamics Electric Boat in New London, Conn., working on the Columbia Class nuclear submarine program as a fluid system engineer.
The National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship is sponsored and funded by the Department of Defense. NDSEG selections are made by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, and the Army Research Office.
The fellowship covers tuition and fees for four years at accredited U.S. institutions providing advanced degrees in science and engineering. In addition, the fellowship provides a yearly stipend.