UNT Engineering student wins prestigious NASA scholarship

From a UNT News Service press release

Katie Schniebs

Katie Schniebs, a UNT junior, calls engineering a lifelong learning process.

"The possibilities with engineering are infinite," says Schniebs, an electrical engineering major. "There is always more to learn, more to do. Engineering is not just about being smart. It is more about motivation and dedication and hard work."

Schniebs' hard work has paid off with a $40,000 scholarship from NASA's Aeronautics Scholarship Program. The Springtown student will receive two years of financial support and a summer internship at a NASA research center.

The scholarship program aims to advance the nation's aeronautics enterprise by investing in the country's educational development and to provide opportunities to highly motivated college students in aeronautics or related fields. Schniebs was one of only 20 undergraduate students nationwide who received the award.

After UNT, Schniebs says she hopes to get a job that combines her love of math and engineering, possibly in the defense industry. In conjunction with her UNT major, she is also majoring in math at Texas Woman's University through a dual-degree program between the two universities. Schniebs is the first student to enroll in the dual-degree program.

Christopher Heiden, associate director of academic services for UNT's College of Engineering and Schniebs' academic advisor, says Schniebs' work ethic and motivation have made her a joy to work with.

"Katie has demonstrated her abilities to analyze problems and formulate a solution by performing many engineering projects," Heiden says. "She has a creative side that helps her articulate her vision."

Schniebs says she encourages more students to pursue careers in engineering.

"A lot of people have preconceived ideas about engineering," she says. "But it's like any other subject. If you have the dedication, you can succeed."

Sarah Bahari with UNT News Service can be reached at sarah.bahari@unt.edu.

Read other stories in this issue:

• President's Note
• See the basketball teams wrap up the season
• Moving Forward: UNT is first Texas public university offering four-year aviation program
• Attend Feb. 27 Emerald "Super" Ball to support the Emerald Eagle Scholars program
• UNT breaks ground on new business building, football stadium
• Faculty Focus: Jincheng Du
• UNT Traditions: UNT Preview
• Featured Link: Emerald Eagle Scholars in South America
• UNT Alumni Association