MEMS and Physics Undergraduate Student Wins 2024 Marion Alice Nye "Buzz" Barry Scholarship
Stephanie Manasterski, a student at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, is this year’s recipient of the Marion Alice Nye “Buzz” Barry Scholarship.
Manasterski is known for being an outstanding undergraduate student, researcher and engineer in terms of academics, extracurriculars and professional experience in the aerospace industry. Not only did Manasterski double-major in mechanical engineering and physics, but she was the co-founder and chief engineer of PropLab, the recovery and airbrake subteam lead and team safety lead for SOAR, and a researcher both in both Pitt’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Pitt’s Department of Physics. Outside of the university, Manasterski worked as the mechanical design and test engineer for the Iris Lunar Rover at Carnegie Mellon University, a propulsion intern at Virgin Orbit, a production intern at SpaceX, a development engineering intern at Gravitics, and is currently a SULI intern at ORNL. Manasterski has amassed many internal and external awards at the state and national level, the most notable being the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship.
Pitt’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science would like to thank the donors and reviewers who have made this scholarship possible. This year's review panel consisted of the following individuals:
- Senior Master Sergeant Lui Puga, Flight Chief- Expeditionary Communications, United States Air Force Reserve
- Aarti Patel - MEMS alumni, previous MANB winner and CRONUS Flight Controller Trainee, NASA Johnson Space Center
- Michael Ullman - MEMS alumni, previous MANB winner and Graduate Student Research Assistant, University of Michigan
- Sarah Wielgosz - MEMS alumni, pPrevious MANB Winner and Graduate Student Researcher, Univerity of Maryland
- Rachel Blum - MEMS alumni and Systems Engineer, Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory
- Ryan Edelson - MEMS Alumni ('19) and Heat Transfer and Secondary Flow Engineer