Beverly student wins fellowship in aerospace industry | News | salemnews.com – The Salem News

BEVERLY A college student from Beverly has landed a fellowship to learn about the aerospace industry.

Amanda Desmond, a junior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has been named one of 51 Brooke Owens Fellows for 2022. She is the first student from the University of Massachusetts system to be selected for the program.

The fellowship is named after aerospace industry pioneer and pilot Brooke Owens, who died from cancer in 2016 at age 35. It provides internships in the field for exceptional undergraduate women and other gender minorities, according to UMass Amherst.

Its a really exciting opportunity, Desmond said. Theres a lot of mentorship involved and a really incredible network that theyve built.

Desmond, 20, will serve her 12-week internship this summer in Denver at Voyager Space, a company that describes itself as a global leader in space exploration. The company is part of the New Space industry of private space companies and startups. The industry is worth about $350 billion worldwide, according to Morgan Stanley.

Desmond said she was always interested in learning about space from reading books and watching movies, and credited her father, Mark Desmond, with encouraging her to think about the big picture.

I started reaching out to people who had built careers in the space industry to see what it was like and get their ideas and opinions, she said. I found out that people in the space industry are really happy to help. It made me think it was a possibility for me too.

Desmond said she found out there is a need in the industry not just for scientists and engineers but for people with a business background. That fits well with her double major of economics and space science.

Its an up-and-coming industry and I want to find out where I would play a role, even if its not the traditional engineering role, she said.

During her internship, Desmond will be working directly with Voyager Spaces CEO Dylan Taylor, who she said plays an influential role in the space industry.

Im excited to learn with him, she said.

Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

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Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

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Beverly student wins fellowship in aerospace industry | News | salemnews.com - The Salem News