Materials science and engineering doctoral student Saqib Shahzad has been named the inaugural recipient of the Elvira and Marshall Cohn Endowed Scholarship, a new award for undergraduate or graduate materials science and engineering students who are interested in pursuing a career in space.
Shahzad was recognized during the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s annual Scholarship Reception, hosted this past month on the UCF main campus.
“To receive the Elvira and Marshall Cohn Endowed Scholarship means a great deal to me.” Shahzad says. “Meeting Elvira Cohn, a materials science alumna, at the CECS Scholarship Reception made it more personal. Her generosity shows how much the UCF community supports its students. It also motivates me to keep working hard and to someday give back in the same way this was given to me.”
As a child, Shahzad was always observing his surroundings and that natural curiosity led him to STEM, a field he describes as exciting.
“I always wanted to do research, to understand the world, to innovate and to contribute to the scientific community for the betterment of society,” Shahzad says. “Materials science covers a vast range of scales, from tiny atoms to huge structures like rockets.”
Originally from Pakistan, Shahzad says that studying under materials science experts and working with state-of-the-art technology at UCF has been a golden opportunity for him. Shahzad, who works for the Florida Space Institute, is currently working on research projects for NASA, which has helped him build skills in software such as SolidWorks and Ansys and techniques like Raman spectroscopy and 3D printing.
“I had never imagined that I could work on such huge projects for such a prestigious organization,” Shahzad says. “After graduation, I want to pursue a career in research and development and use the skills and experience I have gained at UCF to help make a better, safer and cleaner world.”
The Elvira and Marshall Cohn Scholarship will help Shahzad purchase a more powerful computer that can help him complete his research. Beyond that, he says the award renews his motivation and reaffirms the direction he is moving in.
“Honestly, awards like these are fuel for the students like me,” Shahzad says. “It urges us to dream even bigger, work even harder and to reach for the stars.”
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio