UC Space Research Institute awards fellowships

The University of Cincinnati Space Research Institute for Discovery and Exploration has announced its first five research fellows for fall 2021.  

The Space Research Institute launched at UC in 2020 to leverage the expertise of UC faculty, students and partners to continue Ohio’s legacy of contributions to aviation and space exploration. 

“We are delighted to award these fellowships in support of these individuals, as they continue toward their degrees,” said Charles Doarn, director of the institute. “The research effort they are engaged in will add value to the growing knowledge base of space and enlighten those who come after.”

Awards are open to students of any major, with a focus on inclusivity and diversity. 

Four graduate students — three from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and one from the College of Arts and Sciences — received a $24,000 Exploration Full-Year Fellowship. They include: 

• Anirudh Chhabra, aerospace engineering; project title: Development of an Explainable AI-driven Ground Simulator for Emulating Space Exploration Mission
• Benjamin Russ, mechanical engineering; project title: Emergent Modular Robot Structures for Adaptive Manipulation
• Daegyun Choi, aerospace engineering; project title: Decentralized Multi-Robot Control for Massive Structure/Devices Transportation in Unstructured Space Environment
• Aida Ramusovic, political science; project title: Can you hear me Major Tom? The U.S. mass media reporting on exploration of space

One undergraduate from the College of Engineering and Applied Science received a $3,000 Discovery Fellowship for spring semester 2022.

• Rebecca Gilligan, mechanical engineering; project title: Collaborative Multimodal System for Retrieval and Repair on Long-Distance Missions to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond

Read the full announcement from the University of Cincinnati Office of Research.