Northrop Grumman Engineering & Science Student Design Showcase Winners Announced
Worms and Martian regolith. Spent brewer’s yeast and proteins. Coronal mass ejections and seagrass.
Answers from a really challenging trivia night? Contents of the world’s most interesting medicine cabinet? Possibly. But in fact, those odds and ends are just a few of the unique elements associated with Best-in-Show-winning projects at the 2026 Northrop Grumman Engineering & Science Student Design Showcase.
Florida Tech’s just-concluded annual presentation of jaw-dropping scholarship, from a brick-baking lunar rover to a colorful poster exploring whether adverse childhood experiences may erode trust in the U.S. court system, featured 232 projects: 120 from the College of Engineering and Science; 103 from the College of Aeronautics; and nine from the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts.
In their entirety, Florida President John Nicklow said, the projects comprised one of the best showcases the school has held.
“This day makes me so proud of this institution and all of you,” Nicklow said ahead of the awards presentations. “The showcase really does embody the essence of Florida Tech’s educational mission. Our students engage in project-based learning, gaining important insights into their disciplines.”
They also, President Nicklow noted, engage with an All-Star team of industry leaders serving as judges, including 20 from longtime showcase supporter Northrop Grumman who all are Florida Tech alumni with a whopping 41 degrees among them. In was 2009 when Northrop Grumman provided a $1 million endowment gift for the annual event, and the company has been there every year since.
Here are the projects recognized by judges, starting with the three top categories: President’s Cup, Northrop Grumman Best in Show and Honors College Best in Show. Individual category winners follow. Team members’ names are included when available.
President’s Cup
Engineering: “CALI – Cobot Autonomous Living Interface,” Nicholas Santamaria, Heber Lopez, Berke Dogan (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Science: “Conservation of Stress and Immune Gene Families Across Major Aquaculture Fish Species,” Julia Pearson, Rana Alghorir, Maryam Young, Abby Briggs, Sonia Peters (Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences)
Northrop Grumman Best in Show
Engineering: “A.S.T.R.A – Atmospheric-Satellite-Trajectory-Repositioning-Attachment,” Liam Pettit, Morgan Lee, Nathan Mulford, Alvaro Cameo, Cole Schumacher, Nathan Stephens, Jimmy Maskill, Titus Mills, Clayton Cannella, Evan Thompson (Aerospace Engineering)
Science: “Studies of a Mitigation Strategy for Carrington Class Superflares,” José Fuentes, Camilla Wright (Space Sciences)
Honors College Best in Show
Engineering: “A.S.T.R.A – Atmospheric-Satellite-Trajectory-Repositioning-Attachment,” Liam Pettit, Morgan Lee, Nathan Mulford, Alvaro Cameo, Cole Schumacher, Nathan Stephens, Jimmy Maskill, Titus Mills, Clayton Cannella, Evan Thompson (Aerospace Engineering)
Psychological Sciences: “Knowledge and Decision-Making in Mandated Reporting: Assessing Non-Professionals’ Capacity Through CAST and Non-CAST Students in a Universal Reporting Context,” Sophia Weathers (Non-COES Majors)
Science: “Dual-Lev: A Dual-Axis Ultrasonic Acoustic Levitator,” Trevor Hennington, Alyx Mason (Physics)
Best in Show Category Winners
Aerospace Engineering: “ARGOS – Advanced Robotic Gimbal and Orbital Simulator,” Sophia Cherry, Tyler Davis, Seth Busche, DJ Benefield, Priyansh Dholakia, Nathan Scott, Jonathan Feliz
Astrobiology: “Exploring the Viability of PGPBs in Martian Regolith Agriculture,” Nathan Kawalski
Biological Sciences: “Role of RPM-1 in a C.elegans APOE4 Alzheimer’s Disease Model”
Biomedical Engineering: “Vitasense,” Ava Dorow, Ashley Schindler, Justin McParland
Chemical Engineering and Chemistry: “Large-Scale Production of Polyethylene Furanoate from Algae-Derived Feedstocks,” Anjolaoluwa Buraima, Anjolaoluwa Buraima, Brianna Oropeza, Christain Jung, Jasmine Gordon
Civil Engineering and Construction Management: “College of Business Relocation Project,” Genevieve Spitaletto, Nicky Vreeland, Matthew Loudon, Chris Fox
Electrical Engineering: “Rapid Reach.” Peyton Hay, Ryan Matthews, Rishi Ammanabrolu, Alex Dumbell, Ashley Hurtado, Mac McHale, Sean Miller, Dan Zschau
Environmental Science and Sustainability: “Recycling Spent Brewery Yeast as Supplement for Commercial Fish Feed,” John Denvir
Marine Science: “Conservation of Stress and Immune Gene Families Across Major Aquaculture Fish Species,” Julia Pearson, Rana Alghorir, Maryam Young, Abby Briggs, Sonia Peters
Mathematical Sciences: “The Invisible Shield: Why Our Stomach Doesn’t Digest Itself,” Kevon Findley
Mechanical Engineering: “LMCO/Navy Air Pallet for Materials Handling,” Samantha Ryan, Ryan Zerneke, Joshua Bible, Justin Conner, Brycen Haner, Nevan Juteram, Alexander Lacy, Gavin Lanka, Henry Lewis
Meteorology: “The Forecasting Challenge of Snow Cover Induced Temperature Depressions”
Ocean Engineering: “ReefStarter Deployment System,” Dylan Alvarez, Jacob Elston, Alex Ketchen, Jaidyn Lodens
Oceanography: “Tiny Engineers: How Polycheate Worms Can Extend Sedimentary Oxic Layers and Create Better Seagrass Habitats”
Physics: “Studies of a Mitigation Strategy for Carrington Class CMEs,” José Fuentes, Camilla Wright
Software Engineering and Computer Science: “Skin Cancer Detection”
Florida Tech Honored with Military Friendly School Designation for 2026-27
For Seven Straight Years, and More Than a Dozen Overall, the University’s Been Recognized
Florida Tech has earned the Military Friendly® Schools designation for 2026-27, the seventh consecutive year the school has been so honored.
Florida Tech also received the program’s Military Spouse Friendly School distinction.
Institutions that earned the Military Friendly designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey with thousands of university respondents.
Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score and public data with an assessment of the institution’s ability to meet and exceed thresholds for student recruitment, retention, academic progress, graduation rates, career placement and support services for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses.
For seven straight years – and more than a dozen overall – Florida Tech stood tall at the end of that complex process, proudly recognized for its ongoing, innovative efforts to educate the men and women who have valiantly served our country.
“Earning the Military Friendly® designation is more than a badge of honor; it is a reflection of an institution’s deep-rooted values and strategic commitment to those who served,” said Kayla Lopez, vice president of memberships, Military Friendly®. “These schools don’t just open doors for veterans and military spouses, they build sustainable pathways for academic success and long-term impact. Their support is transformative, proving that investing in military-connected students is both a moral imperative and a standard for educational excellence.”
Florida Tech’s Military and Veteran Student Services provides accessible guidance to key programs the university is engaged with, including the G.I. Bill, Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, Wisdom Warrior Program for online education and the Yellow Ribbon Program.
As of Fall 2025, nearly 12% of all Florida Tech students enrolled were veterans, active duty, National Guard/Reserve, veteran dependents or veteran spouses.
“Since our founding 68 years ago by Jerry Keuper, a U.S. Army veteran who served during World War II, Florida Tech has remained steadfastly committed to empowering those who have served with an education that will supercharge their next chapters,” said Florida Tech President John Nicklow, who began his career as a uniformed environmental engineering officer with the U.S. Public Health Service.
“We are proud of each of the Military Friendly designations we have been honored with over the years and the military alumni we have been fortunate to serve,” Nicklow continued. “We plan to do our best to earn that distinction again next year.”
Florida Tech will be showcased in the 2026-2027 Guide to Military Friendly Schools® in the April issue of G.I. Jobs ® magazine (here is last year’s) and on MilitaryFriendly.com.
