Utah is one of the top ten states in the nation with a high concentration of aerospace industries. The College of Engineering at Utah State University is hoping to train more students to work in the field through a Ph.D. program that begins this fall.
For Stephen Merkley, a current student who is hoping to be accepted, the Ph.D. program will bring him practical involvement doing what he loves.
“Building systems and integrating systems first hand, and applying these things to make them work for real world application, is a very enlightening experience for an engineer,” Merkley said.
Orrin Pope is an engineering student studying aerospace. Although he’s not interested in pursuing a Ph.D. at Utah State himself, he said he is still excited about the possibilities of the new program.
“I think it will attract new talent and new Ph.D. candidates to USU that wouldn’t have looked at USU for a Ph.D. program before,” Pope said. “I think it will help the reputation of the College of Engineering and continue the legacy of engineering that USU represents.”
Students in the new program will specialize in propulsion, navigation and orbital mechanics.