Senior aerospace engineering student awarded the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s 2024 scholarship
Published: Sep 25, 2024 2:30 PM
By Olivia Ballard
Justin Littlefield, a senior in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, has been awarded the 2024 Astronaut Scholarship Foundation award.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation awarded scholarships to 71 college juniors and seniors from 48 different universities in 2024. The scholarship recognizes STEM majors nationwide, inspiring students and giving them the confidence to continue within the strenuous field.
Littlefield initially wasn’t aware of the award and was nominated by his advisor.
“I hadn’t heard of the scholarship before, so I was taken aback,” Littlefield said. “Then, I looked it up, and I was shocked and excited when I realized the opportunities that could come with earning the award.”
The national process is competitive, but Littlefield recalls beating out the competition at Auburn as more than half the battle. He was among two students nominated to the national committee after being considered over dozens of other Auburn Engineering students.
“It was difficult because you have to go through the Auburn selection committee. So that, in my opinion, is by far the most competitive because you are dealing with other Auburn students,” he said.
Littlefield’s research focuses on robotics, controls and systems. He credits much of his success to Auburn professors including, Russell Mailen, associate professor in aerospace engineering, who he works with in the Auburn University Polymer Mechanics Research Laboratory and Ehsan Taheri, assistant professor in aerospace engineering and his professor for optimal controls.
“I think Auburn has top-notch professors. They know their stuff, they’re good at teaching and they give a lot of growth potential for students,” he said. “They develop a mind frame for you. Another thing that Auburn does well is the amount of research opportunities that they have. I’ve learned so much more in my undergraduate research than I thought, and in a different realm than I thought.”
Mailen gives credit back to Littlefield, noting his distinguished performance in the laboratory and classroom.
“As an undergraduate researcher, Justin has worked diligently on a NASA project related to self-folding polymer origami in microgravity,” Mailen said. “He has integrated his past experiences with robotics into his research on materials and controls. He is extremely intelligent and curious about how things work, which is evident in how he conducts himself in the laboratory and classroom. Although he was competing against many stellar candidates, it is evident to me why he was selected, and I am confident he will represent Auburn well.”
Auburn has also allowed Littlefield to aim high. After graduation, he hopes to work for a large aerospace company, listing NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin to name a few, and to earn a master’s degree or doctorate while working.
With the scholarship, Littlefield will complete his education at Auburn and begin his career in the aerospace industry.
“I would like to work at NASA at some point,” he said. “I want to be a mission designer or a mission planner for a contractor. I want to work on big projects and oversee them. I would like to lead a team in whatever specialized field I choose whether that be polymers or something else.”
Media Contact: , orb0015@auburn.edu,
Justin Littlefield, a senior in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, has been awarded the 2024 Astronaut Scholarship Foundation award.
