(L-R) UAH Women In Defense Scholars, Michaela Hemming, Paige Berg and Olivia Williams.
Courtesy Robert Frederick
Two students in the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have been named 2025 Women In Defense (WID) Scholars. Paige Berg, a three-time WID honoree, is pursuing a doctorate in aerospace engineering, while Olivia Williams is working on earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
“From aerospace engineering to data science, the work these scholars are pursuing underscores the many ways to serve in national security,” said Audricia "Driece" McKinney, executive director of Women In Defense, in making the announcement. “Our mission is to keep the talent pipeline full and rich in expertise, so the next generation is ready for the challenges ahead.”
Both scholars are working with the UAH Propulsion Research Center (PRC), which conducts research, produces publications and mentors students in advanced propulsion technologies and their applications. The students were honored along with four other recipients from across the U.S. during the annual Women In Defense National Conference in Arlington, Va.
Michaela Hemming, a UAH doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering, was selected as a WIN Scholar in 2023 as well.
Courtesy WID
“I am proud to have won the scholarship again, not only for me and my family, but for the Women In Defense Tennessee Valley Chapter as well,” Berg says. “The members of WID, both local and at the national level, have been very welcoming and provided a community as well as some good career advice. I plan to continue to work in the defense industry to continue my research into improving solid propulsion systems.”
Berg has been performing ground testing of various solid and liquid propulsion systems since coming to the PRC as a graduate research assistant. “For my Ph.D., my research is focused on studying the effect a coolant or crosslink density would have on a solid ramjet fuel grain,” she explains. “To perform this study, I am manufacturing my own inert solid fuels and firing them in the PRC Hot Fire Test cell.”
Williams’ long-term goal is to contribute to advancing propulsion technologies as well. “A large part of my work involves high-speed imaging and data analysis to better understand bubble flows in nuclear thermal propulsion concepts,” the student notes. “Being selected as a Women In Defense Scholar is an honor that reinforces the importance of the work I’m doing and the support I’ve received from my mentor and UAH. It’s motivating to see this recognition and it encourages me to continue pursuing a career in propulsion research and development within the aerospace and defense community, while also supporting future engineers who come after me.”
Both honorees credit working with Dr. Robert Frederick, the director of the PRC, and other PRC personnel, as instrumental to their achievements.
“I have had many mentors throughout my time at UAH,” Berg notes. “Dr. Robert Frederick has helped give me advice on my research throughout my time here and is always willing to provide me with academic and career opportunities. He has also been very supportive of me being a part of Women In Defense.
“Dr. David Lineberry has also been a great mentor when it comes to learning to prepare and perform tests in the PRC hot fire test cell. He has also spent long nights with me working on conferences papers. One of my more recent mentors has been Dr. Natalie Click. She has been supportive of my activities in Women In Defense and has provided some guidance on working in the industry and some of the potential challenges.”
“I’ve spent the past two years working with Dr. Frederick at the Propulsion Research Center, focusing on experimental and computational studies of propulsion systems,” Williams adds. “He has been an incredible mentor throughout this process, guiding me as both a researcher and an engineer.”
An affiliate of the National Defense Industrial Association, WID has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships since 1988 to high-achieving students whose work helps shape the future of United States defense and foreign policy by advancing studies in fields from engineering to public policy with the goal of strengthening U.S. national security.