The prestigious Astronaut Scholarship, initiated by the Mercury-7 astronauts, provides up to $15,000, a paid trip to the ASF Innovator's Weekend, and a lifelong network with astronauts and ASF alumni and supporters. The scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding juniors and seniors who intend to pursue research-oriented careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

In August, Burnett will accept the award and present his research at the Innovators Week and Gala in Orlando, Florida. He's currently involved in two research areas that he hopes to present at the conference. One includes aerobraking maneuvers under the guidance of Dec, the professor of the practice, and the other includes Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) image analysis with Prof. Wray in the School of Earth Atmospheric Sciences.  

Burnett, an aspiring astronaut, plans to pursue his master's degree at Georgia Tech through the AE BS/MS Honors program and then work in the space industry. He is also considering earning a Ph.D. in either planetary sciences or geotechnical engineering. "I love doing research, and I'm just excited to see where this path will take me," said the rising fourth year. 

James, who just finished his second year in computer science is particularly interested in machine learning. Over the past year, he's worked under Dr. Ashwin Pananjady and Dr. Vidya Muthukumar to study bandit algorithms, a particular kind of machine learning problem, from a theoretical lens. "I was incredibly surprised to hear that I was selected as a nominee, and even more when I was named a scholar. I'm excited to meet everyone in this new network of scientists and learn from their experiences." 

After finishing his undergraduate degree (May 2024), James plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in Machine Learning and then becoming a professor. James credits his success to those he's worked under in his labs: Ben Blaiszik, Ian Foster, Marcus Schwarting, Aristana Scourtas (UChicago/ANL) and Ashwin Pananjady, Vidya Muthukumar (Georgia Tech). "All of these people have given me invaluable experience, knowledge, and support that led to me receiving this award." 

Karen E. Mura, a prestigious fellowships advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Education, said: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both Colin and Jim in their respective fields. We are extremely proud of their achievements and to have them represent Georgia Tech to the Astronaut Scholarship community.”

Prestigious Fellowships Advising is available to Georgia Tech students who want to apply for undergraduate awards such as Astronaut, Goldwater, and Truman Scholarships. The office also advises students and alumni about post-graduate awards that enable them to attend graduate school, conduct independent research, and study or work abroad after graduation. 

For more information about Fellowships, contact Mura at karen.mura@gatech.edu.