From student to sponsor: Q&A with Sierra Rose
Sierra Rose, at right, is pictured with Team 24044, which she advised during the 2023-2024 academic year for Northrop Grumman.
Sierra Rose graduated in 2019 with a BS in mechanical engineering and a minor in aerospace engineering. She is an aeronautical engineer at Northrop Grumman Space Systems working as a design, integration, and test engineer for the intercontinental ballistic missile program and is designing a new integrated booster. In her few years in the industry, she has gained experience in composites, advanced CAD design, cable design, motor integration and vehicle integration.
Tell us about your capstone project during your University of Arizona education.
My project was to design and test an event data recorder for Northrop Grumman. EDRs are used in transit to record transportation conditions for rocket motors and sensitive vehicle structures. If an event occurs during shipment, the data allows the company to determine if the product is viable for the mission. While surviving the span of a week, the designed EDR measured temperature, humidity and positional displacement the motor or structure was introduced to.
Did your experience in the capstone program prepare you for your career?
The capstone project introduced me to new things I would later experience in my career, including vendor communications, material procurement, manufacturing and multidisciplinary collaboration. The coursework taught students to solve problems analytically, but not how to produce a product. A lot more goes into a design than the analysis. Perhaps this was where I realized that not all problems can be solved with math.
How long has your company been sponsoring projects? How long have you personally been involved with it?
Northrop Grumman Space Systems – formerly Orbital ATK – began sponsoring projects well before my time. In the last five years, I have mentored the following projects: Lattice Winding Machine, Rapid Isolators, Thermal Rocket Cover and Retraction System, Spin Balance Mechanism, and a Subsonic Wind Tunnel. I love being involved with the engineering capstone program, and I am excited to sponsor another project this upcoming year.
What are the most rewarding moments?
Most rewarding for me is watching the students gain confidence in themselves as engineers. The second semester of the project is always so bittersweet. The design they have put blood, sweat and tears into finally starts to come to life. Watching them overcome that first challenge, when they realize their design actually does not work and they develop a viable solution, makes me proud that I get to be a part of the experience.
What would you tell other company representatives and alumni about getting involved?
I would recommend the sponsor experience to anyone who wants to make an impact and/or give back to the community. Not only is the experience great for me, but I love being an advocate for the development of young engineers. I believe receiving guidance from someone who was just in your shoes not too long ago helps define the next steps in your career.