I’ve always maintained that fit and drive are far more important than rank. Recently, I learned about NASA’s Multidisciplinary Aerospace Research Team Initiative (MARTI). It’s one of NASA’s most prestigious internships. Below are the participants from 2016 and 2015 at Langley. There are LOTS of schools represented that never even enter the discussion here on CC. I’m not advocating that all schools are the same. Rather, if a student doesn’t get into one of the hot names, it doesn’t sound the death knell for a decent career. We probably put far too much focus on too few schools.
2016 NASA MARTI at Langley:
Lindsey Carboneau, Software Engineering, FL Gulf Coast University
Andrew Clark, Computer Science, U. Texas San Antonio
Bradley Conn, Computer Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
Drew Cruz, Electrical Engineering, U. Texas, Arlington
Ben Hargis*, Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University
Josiah Michael, Electrical Engineering, U. of Wisconsin Platville
Konrad Nowak, Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
Matthew Powelson, Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University
Lauren Schlenker, Aerospace Engineering & Physics, U. of Minnesota
Nick Villanueva, Aerospace Engineering, Mass. Inst. of Technology
2015 Summer MARTI Participants:
Adam Bass, Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
Zach Bassett,* Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Melinda Darrow, Systems Engineering, Southern Methodist University
Peter Finch, Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Alex Flock, Engineering, Kent State University
Matt Holdren,* Aerospace Engineering, Case Western University
Henry Kwan, Mechanical Engineering, University at Buffalo
Derya Tansel, Electrical Engineering, University of Florida
David Vutetakis, Electrical Engineering Technology, U. of North Carolina, Charlotte
*denotes team lead