Recent college graduate Annie Price spent a year as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellow working at the Air Force Institute of Technology in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. She has presented her undergraduate and AFRL research at conferences including the International Astronautical Congress in Paris, France. (Contributed photo)

In May 2022, Annie Price graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering, setting the foundation for her future as a researcher in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

During an undergraduate internship with Princeton Satellite Systems, Price studied nuclear-powered planetary exploration concepts that fueled an interest in high-speed propulsion and led her to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Price’s senior thesis advisor told her about the Air Force Research Laboratory and connected her with a former graduate student Dr. Timothy Ombrello, a senior research aerospace engineer in AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, High-Speed Systems Division. The connection paid off when Ombrello contacted Dr. José Camberos, associate professor of aerospace engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology, regarding opportunities for Price.

Two months later, Price accepted a position as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellow working in AFIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics under the mentorship of Camberos and in partnership with Tyler Gardner from AFRL.

As an ORISE fellow, Price worked with The Technical Cooperation Program on a ramjet engine design challenge and testing in-house design and analysis software, collaborating with AFIT faculty and auditing graduate-level classes.

“Classes at Princeton are really theory-heavy which I appreciate and think is very important, but sometimes the application gets lost,” Price said. “AFIT is very application-heavy and offered me a different perspective. It allowed me to focus on how the theory applies to making actual vehicles.”

Camberos commended Price’s quick learning, technical skills and ability to overcome challenges.

“At the beginning of this project, Annie had little to no prior experience with high-speed propulsion, highlighting her impressive self-motivated learning in a short time,” he said. “She was able to quickly learn the complicated technical and theoretical background necessary to conduct a successful analysis using newly developed software tools. Her independence, confidence, and determination took her through numerous roadblocks, particularly when she encountered confusing and conflicting results, which ultimately revealed software issues that needed to be corrected and resolved.”

Eager to learn and contribute, Price consistently applied herself to her projects and expanded her knowledge in critical technical areas.

“While her college work gave her a good understanding of engineering principles, the technical discipline that Annie has been working in at AFRL is not covered in depth at the undergraduate level,” said Dr. Logan Riley, aerospace research engineer at AFRL. “Annie has combined her existing skills with what she has learned of high-speed propulsion to conduct some great research. Her work will serve as a launching point for future work and for our team to improve inlet design tools.”

Price has published and presented the results of her inlet design research and undergraduate work at professional conferences, both nationally and internationally. She is the primary author on a Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force conference paper in May 2023, is a co-author of a 2023 paper and 2022 conference proceedings on nuclear fusion powered Titan aircraft and is working to publish a paper for the December 2023 JANNAF conference. She also presented her inlet design work to international partners through The Technical Cooperation Program at a technical panel meeting in April 2023.

“One aspect of Annie’s professional development which impressed me very much is how she prepares for her technical presentations,” Camberos said. “In addition to the technical content, lay-out, and progression, Annie takes the time to rehearse her delivery; something which is often lacking even by seasoned professionals. She has inspired me to do more of this myself!”

In addition to her technical work, Price volunteered many hours to local STEM educational-outreach efforts through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Dayton-Cincinnati Section. She helped with hands-on, design-build-launch activities for kids of all ages at the 2023 Dayton Air Show, 2023 Dayton TechFest, 2022 and 2023 iSPACE day in Cincinnati, and numerous AIAA Section Lunch-and-Learns.

Price’s passion for engineering began in middle school when she attended STEM events and hack-a-thons at the University of Pennsylvania.

“When I was in high school, I really enjoyed physics and calculus,” Price said. “I like solving hard problems. I never deviated off the course of wanting to be an engineer since middle school. Going to women in STEM events at UPenn really shaped me from a young age.”

Recently, Price accepted a position with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory working in the air and defense missile defense sector, further solidifying her role as a rising star in STEM research.

“Annie has demonstrated great potential as a STEM professional and we continue to be impressed by her professionalism, desire to learn and resolute determination to succeed,” Camberos said. “We are confident she will be an outstanding contributor to future STEM research and also serve as an inspiration to future generations.”

Reflecting on her experience at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Price expressed gratitude for the guidance and mentoring she received, especially from Tyler Gardner and Dr. Logan Riley at AFRL and Dr. José Camberos, Dr. Ramana Grandhi and Dr. Fred Schauer from AFIT.

“The mentorship I had here was very rich,” Price said. “I had the opportunity to spend time devoted to really diving into the technical material, learning and discussing one on one and the laboratory setting allowed me to hone my interest and skills for my future career.”

Price’s journey exemplifies the fusion of academic excellence, hands-on research and a commitment to STEM outreach, positioning her for an impactful career in the evolving landscape of science and technology.

About AFIT
The Air Force Institute of Technology, or AFIT, with its main campus located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the Department of the Air Force’s leader for advanced, multi-disciplinary academic education, as well as its institution for initial technical and professional continuing education. AFIT accomplishes its mission through four resident schools: the Civil Engineer School, the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, the School of Strategic Force Studies, and the School of Systems and Logistics. Through its Civilian Institution Programs Office, AFIT also manages the educational programs of Airmen enrolled at more than 350 civilian universities, research centers, teaching hospitals, and industrial organizations. For more information, visit www.afit.edu.

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About ORISE
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), sponsored by the Department of Energy, administers science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) internships and fellowships to recruit and prepare the next generation of our nation’s scientific workforce. ORISE offers challenging research opportunities to help prepare recent graduates for a career in STEM while providing them with laboratory knowledge to use in pursuit of an advanced degree. For more information, visit https://orise.orau.gov/index.html.