RAJAA ELHASSAN 
(Rah-juh, she/her)

  • Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2022

  • New York University, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ‘23

  • Host Institution: Blue Origin

  • Executive Mentor: Wesley Harris

  • Brookie Mentor: Nina Arcot

Rajaa is a junior studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Born and raised in Miami, FL, Rajaa is proud to now call New York City her home. When not working on her studies, Rajaa is an avid painter and can be found working on a new painting, playing piano, or roller skating.

Rajaa has been passionate about space and astronomy ever since she could remember, using a kid’s telescope in her backyard to observe supernovae and constellations throughout her childhood. As she grew up, her attention began to shift towards sustainability and how scientists can play a role in combating climate change. She quickly developed a love for all things chemistry-related and is now interested in seeing how humans can utilize resources in space to offset resource utilization on Earth.

In high school, Rajaa ran her school’s all-girls robotics team, Fe Maidens (FRC 2265), which went on to qualify for world championships two years in a row and win the NYC Regional in her senior year. Her team gained coverage in Forbes, Teen Vogue, the Today Show, and even had its own PBS docu-series promoting women and minorities in STEM. While in high school, Rajaa also conducted independent research on synthetic DNA at the Bio-Interfacial Engineering and Diagnostics Lab at NYU Tandon which ultimately won a grant from the National Science Foundation for continued research. Rajaa then went on to participate in the NASA Lucy Student Pipeline Accelerator and Concept Enabler Mission Concept Academy in 2021 where she and her team developed a mission proposal to investigate the origins of the presence of phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere. She frequently gives back to her community, working as a STEM instructor at NYU’s K-12 Center for STEM Education where she runs annual programs teaching middle and high school students the basics of engineering, programming, and concept design.

As a Brooke Owens Fellow, Rajaa is excited to join the team at Blue Origin to work on utilizing resources in space to promote sustainability on Earth.