First Aggie Recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Named

News Release — June 9, 2022 — Utah State University electrical engineering student Tucker Skinner is the first Aggie to receive a scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. In addition to the scholarship award, Skinner will be attending the foundation’s Innovators Gala in Orlando, Florida this August and will be paired with an astronaut mentor.

“I feel very grateful,” Skinner said. “It feels very rewarding to receive this honor.”

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to aiding the United States in retaining its world leadership in technology and innovation. The program was founded by the original Mercury 7 Astronauts with a mission to support university students in STEM fields. USU is the first university in Utah to be a part of this scholarship program and the 45th university overall to receive this honor. This means Skinner is the first Astronaut Scholar from the state of Utah.

In addition to the financial support, Skinner says he’s excited about how this opportunity will prepare him for graduate school. He is a part of the Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) research center at USU and plans to present some of the research he has conducted with ASPIRE at the Astronaut Scholar Technical Conference in August.

“I am looking forward to the technical conference the most,” Skinner said. “I am already very interested in the other students’ projects.”

Research is a key focus of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and Tucker said his work at ASPIRE is why he had the experience he needed to qualify for this honor.

“I really want to thank all the faculty members at ASPIRE for directing me,” he said. “There’s just no way I would have even been considered if I didn’t work here.”

###

Writer: Matilyn Mortensen, matilyn.mortensen@usu.edu, 435-797-7512

Contact: Tucker Skinner, tucker.skinner@usu.edu