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The inaugural Mary and Tom Snitch Undergraduate Scholarship has been awarded to aerospace engineering junior Anusha Dixit.
Dixit has been fascinated by space her entire life, and after an engineering opportunity in high school she realized that field might be the path to fulfilling her dreams.
“I realized I wanted to contribute to space exploration through engineering, by designing and building the telescopes and satellites that help push the envelope of human knowledge in deep space,” says Dixit. “Aerospace engineering turned out to be the perfect blend of engineering for the harshness of space to learn more than ever before.”
Dixit currently does research with the Planetary Surfaces and Spacecraft Lab on characterizing the Brazil Nut Effect in magnetic granular grains, investigating the formation of magnetic asteroids. She also serves as mechanical lead on the UMD Loop engineering design team, and is responsible for the integration and testing of the four mechanical sub-teams working towards building a Hyperloop Pod to compete annually in SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod Competition.
In addition, she is the Outreach Chair on the executive board of Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics (WIAA), and works on organizing and executing outreach events including the group’s e-mentoring program.
After graduation, Dixit aims to work on future space exploration endeavors through systems engineering and testing. In particular, she would like to be involved on the next space telescope or deep space exploration probe, or to support efforts to find life within our galaxy.
Dr. Thomas H. Snitch and Mrs. Mary L. Snitch established the Mary and Tom Snitch Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in May 2011. The scholarship provides merit-based support for undergraduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, with a preference for students participating in the Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics program.
Mrs. Snitch is very active in a variety of aerospace and education activities. She is a 19-year member of the Advancing Science in America (ARCS) Foundation, and past national president. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Ron Brown Foundation, and the Aerospace Board of Visitors for the University of Maryland. As a Senior Manager at Lockheed Martin, she is responsible for fostering and advancing strategic interfaces with leading U.S. research universities. Mrs. Snitch received her B.S. in business administration at George Mason University, and MBA in business, economics, and public policy at George Washington University.
February 25, 2020
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