February 2, 2022
Two aerospace engineering undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin – Shreya Bhattacharjee and Azzurra Demarie – have been selected to receive Brooke Owens Fellowships for 2022. They are among only 51 recipients across the globe to receive the highly competitive award.
The fellowship nonprofit program recognizes “exceptional undergraduate women and other gender minorities with space and aviation internships, senior mentorship, and a lifelong professional network” and was created to inspire students pursuing careers in the aerospace industry. The Class of 2022 “Brookie” Fellows are the sixth class to date. Bhattacharjee and Demarie join three other ASE/EM recipients from past years.
Learn more about Shreya and Azzura including their upcoming internships and advice for women pursuing STEM degrees in this Q&A.
What internship will you be doing as a “Brookie”?
Azzurra: I will be working with the Dragon Propulsion team at SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA. I’m going to be optimizing and testing hardware used on the crew and cargo capsules such as the engines, valves, and other fluid components. I will be collaborating with engineers, technicians, and other members of the team on capsules from Crew-5 onwards.
Shreya: I will be working in Major Development Upgrades as a Systems Engineer at United Launch Alliance.
Are you involved with any ASE/EM student organizations or groups?
Azzurra: I was involved in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Austin (UAVA) during my sophomore year, and have been a member of the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab (TREL) for almost 3 years; these experiences provided me with more knowledge about industry and engineering than I could have asked for. Through these organizations I’ve become comfortable with different engineering practices, software, aerospace fields, and most importantly, group communication and how to function well on a team. Outside of these technical organizations, I’ve also been involved in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) as a mentor, and Women in Aerospace for Leadership and Development (WIALD).
Shreya: Texas Spacecraft Lab as the SCOPE Structures Lead and as the SERPENT Deputy Chief Engineer
How do you think your experience as a Brookie will help shape your future career?
Azzurra: During my last internship at SpaceX summer 2021 I had the privilege of living in a household full of engineers, business, and government affairs females all working at SpaceX. This experience allowed me to see how beautiful and fun it is to be surrounded by people who share similar experiences as you, and it was especially relieving to come home after stressful days being able to open up about struggles ranging from engineering problems to being a female in STEM. This experience pushed me to get more involved with the female community both on the local level and the national level as a mentor in school organizations and, as a Brooke Owens Fellow, paving the way for a career without gender disparity.
Shreya: Being a Brookie gives me the unique opportunity to meet and connect with incredibly driven and remarkable individuals who are defining or will be defining the aerospace world. I am excited to be a part of this community and work with everyone to build up a bigger and better future for space.
What advice would you offer to girls or other gender minorities who are interesting in pursuing a degree in STEM?
Azzurra: I’ve had my fair share of failures, especially after having to transfer twice to be admitted in my desired major of aerospace 3ngineering. I really struggled to feel like I belonged for a long time, but I never let that control my actions, so I continued to get involved in organizations or even applied to internships I thought I would never get. Though impostor syndrome was in the backseat of my head a lot of my undergraduate career, I wouldn’t wish to change any of it. My struggles built the person I am today and I’m extremely proud of all my accomplishments, especially after multiple setbacks.
Shreya: Just go for it. At the end of the day, it’s not about whether you’re a girl or a boy or where you’re from, it’s about what you do and whether you’re passionate about it. So do what your heart desires and don’t differentiate between humans. You’ll find you always belong.
