• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2023

• University of Colorado Boulder, Aerospace Engineering and Chemistry, ‘25

• Host Institution: Aurelia Institute

• Mentor: Kris Lehnhardt

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Sweta Alla is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder double majoring in aerospace engineering and chemistry with a minor in space. She is on the pre-med track and is interested in pursuing bioastronautics research and improving accessibility to space. Sweta has wanted to become an astronaut ever since she was five years old and is always willing to partake in projects and challenges that expand upon our current knowledge of space habitats and travel.

At CU Boulder, Sweta has participated in the Colorado Space Grant, working on projects such as plasma propulsion and bluetooth beacons. Through her position, she was able to help with the yearly Colorado Robotics Challenge. Sweta has also completed both of the L’SPACE academies (Mission Concept Academy and NASA Proposal Writing & Evaluation Experience). These experiences prepared her for her current position through CU’s Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) program. Through the program, she was matched with Dr. Torin Clark and graduate student Jamie Voros to help on the “​​Modelling Pilot's Perception of Orientation: Data Collection and Analytics” project. The project has allowed for her to explore her interests in aerospace and the human body.

As for club involvement, Sweta is an active member of the WOAA (Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics) branch and is the VP of the AMSRO (Aerospace Medicine Student and Resident Organization) branch. This has allowed for her to spread her love for aerospace and aerospace medicine to like minded individuals.

Outside of academic pursuits, Sweta is passionate about aviation. She has her Private Pilot License (PPL) with a high-performance endorsement. She is working towards her instrument rating and aids youth interested in getting involved through active participation in organizations such as the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

Sweta is excited to join Aurelia Institute this summer as a Brooke Owens Fellow to work on outreach and space architecture dedicated to building humanity’s future in space.