Meet SMART scholar Fernando Morales, a University of Delaware (UD) graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. During his matriculation at UD, Morales served as the President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, participated on the Student Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board, and volunteered with the Deep Roots STEM Outreach Program – engaging with K-12 students in the local community to promote STEM education awareness.
Prior to SMART, Morales participated as a Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) intern, where he conducted research at Naval Surface Warfare Center – Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) alongside scientists and engineers. Through SEAP, Morales had the opportunity to test and evaluate magnetic degaussing effects of high temperature superconductors to minimize submarine radar detection – all while being a high school student!
After receiving the SMART Scholarship, Morales says he was, “able to align my studies in the last two years of my degree to my interests of what I wanted to work on after graduating.” The SMART Scholarship helped to accelerate Morales’ career by laying the foundation for his academic pursuit and connected the dots between his academics and career as an engineer. For Morales, “classes felt more exciting…and I was eager to learn in the years that I was a SMART scholar.”
Throughout his SMART Scholarship journey, Morales was able to grow his technical and professional skills, which readied him for his career as a Department of Defense (DoD) engineer. Furthermore, Morales received invaluable mentorship from a DoD civilian engineer NSWCPD, who provided him with academic and career guidance.
Currently, Morales works as a civilian engineer at the NSWCPD, where he focuses on enhancing Navy fuel efficiency and researches future fuel needs. Driven by his community spirit, Morales says, “The collaboration with academia, industry, and other government organizations is what I love most about my job. It makes me feel part of a community to be part of solving a problem that spans so many different organizations.”
Outside of his professional commitments, Morales actively contributes to his community by volunteering to serve meals to individuals facing housing insecurities. He also indulges in his love for travel, exploring hiking destinations during the summer and engaging in snowboarding activities during the winter.
