Marvellous Achugbu

SMART scholar Marvellous Achugbu is pursuing his master’s degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Fueling his academic pursuit is the SMART Program, a catalyst for Marvellous’ education and career goals.  “With the SMART Program, I have been able to further my education, which makes me one step closer to my goal,” he emphasized. His imminent graduation will see him working full-time as a Department of Defense civilian at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, MD.  As a Patti Grace Smith Fellow, Marvellous stands among thirty-one students aiming to address the underrepresentation of Black professionals in aerospace. Over the summer, Marvellous took flight at SpaceX, an internship he earned through the fellowship program. There, he contributed to the Falcon engineering team in structural and propulsion analysis for a crucial mission.   Furthermore, Marvellous has held leadership positions in the University of Maryland Design Build Fly Team and made significant contributions to the university’s rocket team during his undergraduate journey. His skill set was further enhanced through research in swarm robots and kilobots at the University of Maryland Motion and Teaming Lab, as well as an internship at NAVAIR Pax River with a focus on nanocarbon technology.  In Marvellous’ own words, “Aerospace Engineering is something that has always made my eyes sparkle.” As he takes flight into the next chapter of his career, Marvellous is set to ignite passion for STEM in generations to come.  Beyond academia, Marvellous serves in the United States Airforce Reserve with the rank of E5. Outside of duty, he enjoys soccer and cherishes time with family and friends.