GRACE GENSZLER

Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, Class of 2022

Cornell University, Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering
Dartmouth College, Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Wheaton College in Massachusetts, Bachelor of Arts in Physics

Host Company: Virgin Orbit

Grace Genszler is a graduate student studying aerospace engineering at Cornell University. As a member of the Space Imaging and Optical Systems Lab, her research focuses on the dynamics and control of distributed space systems for space-based observatories. Prior to this, Grace was part of a five-year dual-degree engineering program where she earned a B.A. in physics from Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a B.E. with a concentration in computational sciences and engineering from Dartmouth College.

Grace has enjoyed summer research experiences for undergraduates at Yale University, the University of Southern California, and McGill University. She has also been part of lunar and Mars mission design projects, including a Martian greenhouse that won NASA’s 2019 BIG Idea Challenge. From these experiences, Grace has gained both breadth and depth in aerospace and related fields. As a liberal arts-educated engineer, she hopes to aid the development of the next generation of spacecraft, consult on domestic and international space policy, and support the progress of underserved groups through humanitarian engineering projects and leveraging advancements in aerospace research and technology.

Outside of research, Grace enjoys spending time on educational outreach. Whether as an observatory assistant at Wheaton or bakery employee chatting with customers interested in space during her gap year prior to graduate school, she has found ways to interact closely with the public and make STEM more accessible. She also has worked to promote QuestBridge programs and served as the selection committee chairperson for a technology scholarship in her hometown. When not thinking about space or space-adjacent work, Grace is likely cooking, doing gymnastics, recommending the Math Girls book series by Hiroshi Yuki (genre: rigorous mathematics and light romance), or trying not to overwater her houseplants.

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