Abigail Mizzi

Undergraduate Student, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

What are you are studying/what you are interested in studying and/or researching while at Purdue?

I’m currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. While completing my undergraduate degree I’m interested in studying the design of aerospace and propulsion systems. I have experience through the Purdue Space Program working at Zucrow Propulsion Laboratories on hybrid rocket engines completing hot fire testing on a fully student designed engine. I’ve also had the opportunity to work on a project with Maha Research Center analyzing climate change and mass migration using predictive modeling of large datasets to understand the relationship of the occurrences. Similarly, I’ve had the opportunity to work at Collins Aerospace the summer of 2022 as an avionics engineering intern, which was an informative experience in understanding the design and testing of cockpits for commercial aircraft. This past summer 2023 I was able to work at Northrop Grumman as a flight and ground test system engineer on the Triton MQ-4C unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. These experiences have been incredible to learn more about the aerospace industry.

What made you want to join the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program?

I joined the program to meet other women aspiring to work in the space industry, build relationships with experienced mentors, and learn more about various career paths. It has been wonderful to learn about the multitude of career paths I can pursue and the ways they all make an impact on the world.

What area would you like to work in after graduation? (What career path, interests, opportunities, etc., would you like to accomplish? What field are you interested in?)

My career goals are to pursue a role in conceptual design engineering for defense air and space craft. I hope to work on a product from initial design based on mission criteria then progress with the product into manufacturing, production, and flight testing. I’m excited to work on various projects and impact the designs throughout their full development lifecycle. I want to gain a deep understanding of the intricacies of systems and be hands-on with the product. My overall goal is to create vehicles which continue to innovate while protecting the people carrying out the missions.