Cornell Engineering has announced its first three GE Aerospace Master of Engineering Fellows, who are bringing a diverse array of experiences to the college and to the field of engineering.

The fellowship offers selected students fully paid tuition for a one-year M.Eng. degree as well as an optional paid internship at GE Aerospace, which is funding the fellowships along with support from Cornell Engineering.

The Cornell M.Eng. degree immerses students in a learning environment where they are trained to have an impact in industry. The 30-credit professional degree can be completed in two semesters and is embedded with practical experience, professional development, and project-based coursework.

One goal of the fellowship is to provide the M.Eng. experience to talented students who may not have otherwise considered the degree. The concept came from Mohamed Ali, Ph.D. ’97, vice president and general manager of engineering for GE Aerospace, who said he was inspired by his late mother, who placed Ali’s education above her own needs as a single parent.

“She spared nothing to achieve it,” Ali said, “and she instilled in me perseverance, pride in excellence, and a can-do attitude. I am indebted to her, and I believe that enabling others to achieve all they can achieve is part of paying back that debt.”

Another goal of the fellowship is to attract students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in engineering, something Ali said is crucial to enabling a successful workforce at GE Aerospace and other engineering companies.

“Through diversity we look at alternative ideas and thought processes, and that is a trigger for innovations and continuous improvement,” said Ali, who added that the fellows will have opportunities to apply ideas and skills during their internships as well as during project-based coursework provided by GE Aerospace.

“I believe in combining fundamental knowledge and education with hands-on experience in a real-world setting. Once you connect the two, the opportunities are immense,” Ali said.

The first three students selected as GE Aerospace M.Eng. Fellows are:

Molly Drumm ’23

Drumm graduated from Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in May and decided to apply for the fellowship to continue their education in aerospace engineering.

“Cornell offers many aerospace focused courses that I did not take as an undergraduate student, and I wanted the opportunity to expand my knowledge much further into the subject to be as successful as possible in the professional world,” said Drumm, who will get the opportunity to work with aircraft during their internship with GE Aerospace.

“I loved taking the Propulsion of Aircraft course this semester and it will be incredible to work with those aircraft engines in real life,” Drumm said.

Drumm brings experience as a process engineer intern at New England Wire Technologies and has served terms as the mechanical training lead and the sportsman vice sub-team lead for Cornell Combat Robotics, a student project team that builds and battles small-scale robots.

Nicholas Sabella

Sabella graduated from Lafayette College with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and, as a member of a summer research program, published a study on the use of artificial intelligence to classify building cracks from thermal images.

Sabella said the fellowship is a good fit for him because propulsion is a science that he can pursue through courses at Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as well as during his internship at GE Aerospace.

“I’m going to be working as an engines intern, which is super exciting for me since propulsion is one of my main interests in aerospace,” said Sabella, who minored in Spanish while at Lafayette and will bring his bilingual skills to an industry that values the ability to communication with diverse teams and clients.

“GE Aerospace is at the forefront of technological development and advancement, and I’m excited to see what I can learn from them, as well as contribute to the advancement of technology,” Sabella said.

Joash Shankar

Shankar graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in computer engineering and computer science. As a research assistant in the Wisconsin Embedded Systems and Computing Laboratory, Shankar collected and visualized data from implantable temperature sensors to measure heat stress in cattle. Now, he plans to concentrate his M.Eng. degree on artificial intelligence and embedded systems for sustainable energy.

“I strive to design intelligent embedded systems that, for instance, can autonomously monitor energy usage, optimize power allocation and make real-time decisions to enhance energy efficiency,” said Shankar, who has interned as a software engineer at various companies.

“GE Aerospace’s long-standing history of excellence in the aerospace industry, coupled with Cornell’s top-notch engineering curriculum, made this fellowship an ideal fit for my academic and career aspirations.”

Shankar will earn his M.Eng. degree through the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and will intern at GE Aerospace, where he said he looks forward to contributing to the development of innovative solutions in the aerospace industry.