• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2021

• University of Notre Dame, Business Analytics and Economics, ‘23

• Host Institution: Bryce Space and Technology

• Mentor: Erika Wagner

• Brookie Mentor: Emma Louden

Grace Ryan is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame studying business analytics and economics with a devoted interest in the aerospace industry. Her passion for space science and exploration can be traced back to her early childhood, where she has many fond memories of repeatedly borrowing her neighbor’s telescope and begging her mom to let her use the interactive astronomy apps on her phone.

It was not until late in high school that Grace became exposed to and interested in the business world as well. As the president of her school’s DECA chapter during her senior year, she won first place in the state of Illinois for her category of marketing communications and proceeded to medal at the international level (ICDC) as well. After her freshman year of college, she then gained experience in the startup industry by interning with Mavely. Here, she was able to receive daily mentorship from leaders in the startup base—including top venture capitalists, Forbes 30 Under 30 executives, and founders across the industry—in order to learn and implement the skills necessary to effectively promote and support female-founded and sustainable brands.

All the while, however, her love for space science continued to grow. In 2020, Grace competed in NASA’s Student Payload Opportunity with Citizen Science (SPOCS) competition, where she and her three teammates were named finalists for their experimental proposal and outreach program that studied antibiotic resistance in microgravity on the ISS. In addition, she has worked towards bridging the gap between business and STEM through her project involvement in Notre Dame’s Student International Business Council (SIBC). For one of these projects, she conducted research to develop and present a plan to Pratt & Whitney representatives on the best procedural method to prevent, limit, and effectively remedy the impacts of foreign object debris (FOD) in the aerospace industry. In the future, Grace hopes to utilize her innate curiosity for discovery and innovation to ultimately enter an interdisciplinary career that aids in furthering both our understanding and exploration of space in a meaningful way.

In addition to academic involvement, Grace works as a student ambassador for ND Listens, acts as Service Chair on the Notre Dame Evans Scholars executive board, and volunteers in her local community. During her free time, she can be found binging TV and movie series, baking too many desserts, stargazing, trying her very best to keep her many plants alive, and spending time with her amazing friends.

As a Brooke Owens Fellow, Grace is extremely grateful and excited to work with Bryce Space and Technology in the upcoming summer of 2021!