IRG 2026 Scholarship Winners
We are excited to present our 2026 Scholarship winners!
The scholarships for this year include a big thank you to Baen Books for sponsoring the Tim Bolgeo Memorial Scholarship, our Undergraduate Scholarship, and to Robert and Ruann Hampson for sponsoring our Doctoral and Masters Scholarships.
IRG is honored to award three merit-based scholarships to outstanding students pursuing degrees in fields that advance the dream of interstellar exploration.
These scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated academic excellence, scientific curiosity, and commitment to expanding humanity’s reach into the cosmos.
We received applications from students in 34 different states and students attending 89 different colleges/universities. We thank all of the students who applied for one of these scholarships.
After a competitive review process, the following students have been selected as recipients of the 2026 scholarships:
Tim Bolgeo Memorial Scholarship Winner
Aki Densmore
University: Florida Institute of Technology
Degree Program: Chemical Engineering/Nanotechnology
“I have always been curious about how matter behaves and how small changes in structure can create entirely new possibilities. That curiosity led me to chemical engineering and nanotechnology.
My goal is to become an engineer who develops sustainable materials that support both life on Earth and future missions in space.
I hope to work on technologies that improve water security, energy storage, environmental resilience, and long term habitat stability.”
Master’s Scholarship Winner
Jonathan Ma
University: Cornell University
Degree Program: Systems Engineering
“Since arriving at Cornell, I’ve continued my engineering journey as a CS major, engaging with hands-on research in the Space System Design Studio (SSDS) for the Alpha CubeSat project, where just this month I witnessed the successful deployment of our custom solar light sail in Low Earth Orbit!
Meanwhile, my internships in John Hopkins APL and SpaceX have given me the opportunity to apply the systems-level thinking I developed to complex missions in a fast-paced, industry setting.
This spring, I’ll begin my master’s program in System Engineering at Cornell, where I look to further prepare myself for a career of working with autonomous space systems. And after graduating college, I want to work at an innovative aerospace company like SpaceX, which is constantly pushing the bounds of what is possible in space. But my long term goal is to contribute to the development of the next-generation robotic explorers capable of exploring the most extreme environments in the solar system and beyond, serving as precursor missions for future crewed exploration.”
Doctoral Scholarship Winner
Shreya Chandra
University: UC Davis
Program: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
“I want to work at the intersection of space habitat design and nuclear electric propulsion, since both will shape how humans live and operate beyond Earth.
Habitat design is still an emerging focus, yet it will become essential as activity in cislunar space grows and missions shift toward sustained surface operations on the Moon and Mars.
I am interested in the full system: life-support integration, radiation protection, power management, interior organization, and the operational choices that influence long-term habitability. Nuclear electric propulsion interests me for similar reasons. It offers a realistic path toward high-efficiency transport for cargo and crew across cislunar and interplanetary space. I want to study megawatt-class systems that combine compact reactors, thermal management strategies, and high-power electric thrusters.”
Congratulations to the 2026 Scholarship winners from the team at IRG!