NU Splash Biography

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JULIA DOWNING, NU Mat Sci Grad Student Researcher

College: Northwestern University

Major: Materials Science & Engineering

Year of Graduation: G

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hi! I'm Julia. I'm originally from Annapolis, Maryland and recently moved to Evanston, IL to pursue my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern. Previously, I have done research within the Energy Research Center and Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, and the Department of Physics at the University of Kyoto. I love to teach, and was a teaching assistant for three years in college. I'm passionate about science communication, scientific outreach, building creative solutions to engineering from unconventional sources of inspiration and growing representation of underrepresented groups in STEM.

Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

E357: Engineering an Interplanetary Civilization: Can Reusable Energy Bring Humanity to Mars? in Splash 2018 (Apr. 07, 2018)

Ever wondered if traveling to Mars could be within humanity's reach? An overview of current technologies under development for interplanetary travel will be presented. Fundamental working principles of energy sources such as solar cells, reusable propulsion (rockets) and fuel systems will be covered. By engaging in feasibility and cost-benefit analysis, students will be able to weigh in on the question presented in the course title.