Garrett Jares and Hannah Stroud, doctoral students from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, have each received a 2020 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.
This prestigious fellowship provides financial support to outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who are pursuing a research-based degree. NSF graduate research fellows are part of an elite group who have gone on to become leaders in industry and education.
Since his undergraduate senior capstone project, Jares has been working in the Vehicle Systems & Control Laboratory (VSCL) with Dr. John Valasek, director of VSCL and holder of the Thaman Professorship. While his undergraduate degree in computer science focused heavily on cybersecurity, Jares’ work within VSCL has revolved around developing embedded systems for Unmanned Air Systems and overseeing the operation of the Engineering Flight Simulator Laboratory.
Combining his undergraduate knowledge and his experience in VSCL to investigate cybersecurity for air and space vehicles, Jares’ doctoral dissertation will investigate cyberattacks that are designed to take control of an aircraft by targeting the vehicle’s sensor data. This research will help identify and better understand the vulnerabilities in current systems and develop safeguards against such attacks. Jares is also a recipient of the Crawford & Hattie Jackson Foundation Scholarship, the Edward C. Clay '47 Memorial Scholarship and the 2018 Lechner Graduate Fellowship.
Like Jares, Stroud also received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, her undergraduate research as a member of the Multifunctional Materials and Aerospace Structural Optimization (M2AESTRO) Lab motivated her to pursue graduate studies. Her graduate research includes developing unconventional applications of aerospace skills, coursework and educational activities and utilizing these concepts to explore applications in biomedical devices and fabric development, focusing on complex structural modeling of knitted shape memory alloy structures, which are the building blocks of shape-shifting fabrics. For her fellowship, she proposed augmenting her current work by developing new tools to allow efficient analysis and design of functional, patterned fabrics.
Stroud is also highly involved in department initiatives such as the Pitch Up! Competition, Camp SOAR activities and demonstration development for the Physics and Engineering Festival. Stroud is advised by Dr. Darren Hartl, assistant professor, and Dr. Kristi Shryock, associate department head and Frank and Jean Raymond Foundation Inc. Endowed Instructional Associate Professor.