Above and Beyond: Belle Christianson’s Path from Robotics to Environmental Aviation
Kim Sheeter
Growing up on a small horse farm in rural Pennsylvania, Belle Christianson (’27) didn’t have classmates in the traditional sense. She was homeschooled and enrolled in cyber school, far removed from the in-person labs, lectures and team scrums that define her current experience as an Uncrewed Aircraft Systems major at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University.
Today, she’s president of the university’s Robotics Association, a licensed drone pilot and an environmental researcher mapping Chilean sinkholes by air.
Robotics: Building the Foundation
Christianson’s path to aviation leadership didn’t begin in the air—but on the ground, with wheels and gears.
“In my freshman year of high school, I joined a 4-H FIRST Robotics team,” she recalled. “I worked on building robots to compete—almost like BattleBots, but not quite. It was more engineering focused.”
That early exposure led her to the Real World Design Challenge, a national competition focused on UAV design and mission planning, hosted in part by Embry‑Riddle. Her cyber school team won nationals and placed second internationally her senior year.
“That was when I realized: I’m doing well in this field, and I have a huge love for photography and videography, too,” she said. “So why not dive into the world of drones?”
Leading the Robotics Association
Now a senior in her program, Christianson has accumulated an impressive list of achievements. She holds a Part 107 drone pilot license, was awarded the Presidential and Women’s Excellence scholarships and recently landed a College of Aviation Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant.
This year, she studied abroad in Chile and Argentina, returning to South America after an earlier Study Abroad trip as a teaching assistant helping others explore drone-based photogrammetry and documentation. Her research took her to the politically sensitive Concón Dunes, a prehistoric landscape threatened by sinkholes worsened by urban sprawl
Mapping Chile’s Sinkholes from Above
“I wanted to capture multispectral imaging using thermal and RGB cameras to monitor sinkhole formation and vegetation stress,” Christianson explained. “It’s a tourist area where expansion is putting pressure on tectonic plates and creating sinkholes. Even though I couldn’t fly thermal this time, I used RGB imaging to study browning and thinning of vegetation and identify where potential collapse might occur.”
Her resourcefulness — she secured a police escort to access the dunes — is matched by her respect for aerial data as both a storytelling and scientific tool.
“It really opened my eyes to how beautiful the environment can be, just by seeing it from aerial imagery using a drone.”
The project is ongoing. Christianson is preparing a technical report she will present at Embry‑Riddle’s research symposium this fall.
Guided by Experts: The Power of Mentorship
Mentorship has been a major force in her journey. She credits two key figures: Dr. Nickolas Macchiarella, her SURF advisor, and professor Avinash-Muthu Krishnan, her mentor through the Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) team.
“Dr. Macchiarella has provided a ton of opportunities,” she said. “After my first study abroad trip, he encouraged me to join the Coast Tech project mapping water and vegetation indexes. That really pushed me toward environmental research.” The project, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, deploys drones to monitor coastal areas in Florida with an aim to reduce flooding and improve water quality.
Krishnan has supported her both academically and personally. “He’s been a huge influence, not just in class but outside the classroom, helping me find a sense of community.”
Adding Minors and Mastering Languages
She now serves as both team captain of SUAS and president of the Robotics Association, where projects range from NASA robotics to custom drone builds using CAD, 3D printing and wiring. The SUAS team’s goal for next year: design and build their first aircraft from scratch.
Despite her intense academic schedule, Christianson has added three minors: Systems Engineering, Geographic Information Systems and Russian Studies. Her fascination with languages—she’s studied five so far—connects to long-term goals in intelligence and national security.
“I really want to get into the Navy as a contractor, or maybe the FBI or NSA later in life,” she said. “Russian is a strategic language, and having that linguistic ability will help me get my foot in the door.”
Gaining Experience at Naval Air Station
That ambition led her to Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where she observed Navy test flights and shadowed aviation personnel.
“I got to see F-35s and F-18s up close and learn about how they test aircraft. They’re working on automating some of the fighter jets. With my knowledge in uncrewed aircraft systems, I feel like I could easily apply that.”
It’s not hard to imagine Christianson helping shape the next generation of military aircraft. She’s already thinking in systems. And you don’t need a drone’s eye view to identify a bright future unfolding.
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