Two University of Oklahoma engineering students, Hamilton Young and Lucia Torres, have been recognized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation as part of the Astronaut Scholars program during Innovators Week and Gala held from Aug. 16-19 in Orlando, Florida.
The Astronaut Scholarship is a highly competitive award granted to undergraduate students nationwide pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. This year, Young and Torres were among 68 students from 46 different universities selected for the recognition.
“Hamilton Young and Lucia Torres exemplify the caliber of students we are proud to have at OU Engineering. Their selection as Astronaut Scholars shows their dedication and commitment to advancing the field of engineering. We are thrilled to see them recognized on a national stage and look forward to witnessing their contributions to the world of STEM,” said John Klier, Ph.D., dean of OU Gallogly College of Engineering, who oversees the Astronaut Scholarship program on the OU campus.
From Moore, Oklahoma, Young is a senior in the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering with a 4.0 GPA. He is advised by OU Engineering and OU Health Science Center faculty on various projects, including polymer nanoparticle and nucleic acid delivery initiatives. Last summer, Young interned at the Cancer Diagnostic Imaging Laboratory at MD Anderson where he helped develop mathematical equations to enhance the measurement of hyperpolarized carbon in medical imaging. The work aids researchers in understanding the metabolic activity of cancer cells, facilitating the advancement of cancer detection methods and treatments, he says.
Young is active in Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, OU Society of Asian Students and Engineers, along with the Bio-nanotechnology Engagement for Native Americans in Oklahoma (BE4NANO) program where he is advised by Stefan Wilhelm, Ph.D., a biomedical engineering associate professor.
Torres, of Norman, Oklahoma, is an electrical engineering senior pursuing an accelerated master's degree. With a flawless 4.0 GPA, she is an undergraduate research assistant at the Advanced Radar Research Center, where she has worked on various projects. One area of her research combines computer vision and radar technology for automotive applications, specifically puddle detection. Her current work focus is on reinforcement learning for digital phased array radar systems.
Torres is a founding member of OU’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Club and is also a member of Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering. In 2021, she was awarded first place at the OK-LSAMP 27th Annual Research Symposium for her presentation titled “Puddle Detection with Computer Vision for Self-Driving Cars,” advised by electrical engineering assistant professor Justin Metcalf, Ph.D.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation was established in 1984 and awarded its first seven scholarships in honor of the Mercury 7 Astronauts, including Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton. The scholarships were initiated with $1,000 contributions from each founding member, and subsequent funding has been generated through their speaking engagements. To date, the foundation has awarded over $7 million in scholarships to more than 700 college students pursuing STEM degrees.
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By Lorene A. Roberson, Gallogly College of Engineering
