Science Is for Everyone

Cassie Savukinas (’25) fell in love with engineering in middle and high school when she participated in FIRST Robotics and chose to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering because of that early exposure. She loves the hands-on aspects of machining, creating computer-aided design (CAD) models and designing code to solve unique problems.

Learning Outside the Box

Cassie challenges herself to learn through working in interdisciplinary environments. The Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition is an annual competition that allows current and future maintenance professionals to compete in categories from commercial airline and general aviation to space. Cassie joined Embry-Riddle’s competition team in 2023 as a first-year student, and the team won first place in the school division. She was the only non-maintenance student on the team. Cassie competed again in 2025, finishing first in an individual event, and the team won the AireXpert Dream Team award.

This experience has given Cassie a great appreciation for the maintenance work required to keep people safe in the air, as well as her role as an engineer in making maintenance easier, safer and more efficient.

“Now, when I am designing parts in my classes, I take more consideration into how the final product will be assembled and maintained,” she explained. “This hands-on experience through the College of Aviation has strengthened my engineering skills and complemented the academic coursework I pursue in the College of Engineering.”

The Rise of Women in Engineering

At Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus during the fall 2024 semester, 26% of the 3,385 College of Engineering students were female. According to the Society of Women Engineers, engineering and engineering technology degrees conferred to women have risen from 17% in 2011 to 23% in 2021. While growing, it’s far from the 50/50 ratio hoped for. Cassie is determined to tackle this divide.

Her research aims to show how the seating location of female undergraduate students impacts academic success. In the male-dominated field of engineering, one commonly finds clusters of female students sitting together. Cassie wants to understand if female students experience more academic success by simply sitting near other female classmates.

Mentors Make a Difference

Cassie has been deeply impacted by her mentors. “When theorizing this research project, I reached out through the Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Portal to Humanities and Communication professor Dr. Ashley Lear and introduced her to my research idea. From there, she recruited Kayla Taylor, an Electrical Engineering doctoral student, to help with the survey creation and statistical analysis,” Cassie told us. “Working with these two women has been truly inspiring. They are each at the top of their respective fields and have so much knowledge and expertise that they are willing to share with me.”

SURF’s Up

Thanks to her awards from the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the $1,500 travel grant from the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS), Cassie will be able to present her research findings at the upcoming IEEE Frontiers in Education conference.

“The travel grant will allow me to attend the conference with no cost out of pocket. For me, attending college has always been a large financial ask and something that my family simply couldn’t pay for out of pocket,” she said. “Thanks to the SURF and COAS awards, I have been able to take my knowledge from the classroom, apply it to real-world research to help students and prepare to present my findings at an international conference — all without putting undue financial stress on myself or my family.”

Science Serves Everyone

Recognizing that technology can deepen existing divisions if developed without intention, Cassie is committed to building a more just world for all. “Knowing that the work I do could one day help create solutions rather than barriers is what keeps me focused and passionate, even when the coursework gets tough,” she said.

Plans With Purpose

Cassie’s long-term goal is to become an astronaut and conduct research that improves lives on Earth and beyond. As part of the next generation of scientists and explorers, she is determined to make meaningful contributions to science and shape a more just and connected world.

In the meantime, Cassie aspires to join an organization that emphasizes scientific progress and open research, particularly in the realm of developing interplanetary missions to explore our solar system. “I want to be part of a team that values curiosity, collaboration and making knowledge accessible, all while pushing the boundaries of what we know about space,” she told us.

Cassie, we have no doubt that you’ll push boundaries, and in doing so, make space more accessible for all!