Following his graduation from Purdue, Matt got a job designing the electronics for solid rocket boosters at a company called Orbital ATK. At Orbital ATK he was an integral part of various research and development efforts intended to design the next generation of solid rocket booster. One major program Matt worked on was called the space launch system. The boosters for the space launch system are the most powerful rocket boosters ever designed; and will be used for missions back to the moon and near-earth asteroids and mars. In 2015, he was awarded an Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems Achievement Award for some of his design/analysis work. Late last year, Matt joined the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center as a research and development engineer. He currently works in the Sensors and Systems Development Branch, designing and developing future electrical systems for air and spacecraft.
Best advice for students and young alumni:
“If you have to, consider taking a position you don’t want at a company you do want to work for. You’ll have more opportunities available internally, and at the end of the day the big picture will mean more to you than your daily responsibilities.”