RUTH DAVIS
Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, Class of 2024
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Master’s Degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics, Space Propulsion & Plasmas
Howard University, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Mathematics
Host Company: Aerospace Corporation
Ruth Davis is a first-year graduate student within the Aeronautics & Astronautics department at MIT, studying in the Space Propulsion Laboratory (SPL). She previously attended Howard University, where she was a Karsh STEM Scholar and received her B.S. in mechanical engineering. She conducted undergraduate research on the use of cryogenics for thermal cycling materials for space applications and on fundamental electrospray propulsion principles. She has experience working at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory where her work involved the use of flow devices to cool lithium-ion batteries and thermal modeling of electric propulsion devices. Ruth has also interned at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and NASA Headquarters. Her current work involves studying the principles of electrospray propulsion and preparing for a flight demonstration of a staged electrospray thruster propulsion system. She is passionate about space exploration and propulsion and endeavors to make space more accessible and affordable. In her free time, Ruth loves reading novels, running, film photography, and traveling abroad.