SVSU student lands coveted NASA internship

Ever dream of working with NASA? Yeah, lots of people have, but most of them never get a chance. One Saginaw Valley State University student will, however, thanks to landing a very coveted internship with the space administration.

Jacob Sharpe will spend next semester in Virginia researching how to improve "virtual wind flow." Sharpe, a mechanical engineering major from Burton, has secured an internship at NASA's Langley Research Center.

A graduate of Davison High School in Michigan, Sharpe will be developing different computer models to simulate turbulence.

"For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be involved in space or aeronautics," Sharpe says. "I would like to go into aircraft or spacecraft design as a career."

Alan Freed, SVSU's Spicer Chair in Engineering, worked as a NASA researcher for more than 20 years.

"These internships are highly sought after because there are few available," Freed says. "They get a lot of applicants, so he must have impressed them. It will be a feather in his cap when he interviews for a job."

Sharpe attributes his successful candidacy to lessons learned as part of SVSU's Cardinal Formula Racing team that designs and builds an Indy-style race car for competition each year against colleges and universities around the world. His internship is scheduled to begin this month and run through April.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jacob Sharpe, SVSU