Baylor University’s First Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering

Sarah Stair is the first person to enter the new Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. A native of Arlington, Texas, Stair was awarded a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Baylor earlier this month. Her research has focused on using ultrasound to test carbon fiber composite materials that has practical applications in the aerospace industry.

Stair has been awarded a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation. For the next three years, she will receive a $32,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 cost of education allowance. Stair will also be eligible for international research and career development programs and will have access to a supercomputer.

This past summer Stair had an internship at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.