Aerospace Engineering
Contact Information
- Hometown: Chantilly, VA
- E-mail: hshay@vols.utk.edu
Biography
My name is Harrison Shay, and I am an Aerospace Engineering major in the 2022 cohort of the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (Heath IBEP) at the University of Tennessee. Throughout my high school and college careers, I have sought out opportunities to get involved and to take leadership roles. These experiences have taught me how to communicate with different types of people and to lead effectively. These skills have provided me success and will allow me to continue to adapt to problems I will face in the future. I joined the Heath IBEP to gain experience and knowledge that many other people never receive, such as .I have always had a passion for math, science and solving technical problems. However, I consider one of my strengths to be teamwork and leadership in a business setting. I knew joining the Heath IBEP would give me the background in business to make me a higher caliber of student. These experiences and skills will allow me to have a significant impact on my future career, and the challenges I will face. This past summer I had the opportunity to work at Centauri as a technical intern. Centauri is a government contractor in the Northern Virginia area. During this internship I created insights into the problem of massive space debris collision risk using statistical analysis and orbital mechanics. I also developed a website to display information effectively and creatively on the issue. Through this process, I was also able to focus on improving my professional communication, presentation, and research skills. After college I would like to work for the government or private industry in the Space Exploration field. I am passionate about working on planes, drones, space vehicles, or anything that flies, and using my background in both aerospace and business to have a unique perspective on these areas. I have an interest in working in research and development, initially, to better the technology of the respective fields. However, one day I would like to make a greater impact on my projects and team members by using my leadership and interpersonal skills in project management.
