• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2022

• University of Southern California, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, ‘22

• Host Institution: Lockheed Martin

• Executive Mentor: Jennifer Uchida

• Brookie Mentor: Monica Kim

Madeleine Tran is a senior at the University of Southern California majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism. As a kid, she was curious about how things worked and wanted to become an inventor. She was first introduced to engineering through her high school robotics team where she led the CAD of the robot and became president of the team.

At USC, Madeleine is heavily involved with the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. As the Lead Simulations Engineer, she is responsible for managing the motor and flight simulation software and data analysis suite. In preparation for launches, she manufactures propellant, lays up composites, integrates the recovery system, and coordinates trips. Her efforts were integral in the launch of Traveler IV, the first student-designed rocket to pass the Kármán Line and reach space.

Madeleine is also passionate about the environment and sustainability. She conducts research with the USC Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where she led a GIS visualization project to analyze the campus tree inventory and its impact on the environment. In the USC Viterbi Sustain-A-Thon, a 48-hour interdisciplinary competition to address sustainability problems, her team placed first with their design of a high-altitude balloon system to capture and sequester carbon dioxide emissions.

Outside of USC, Madeleine has interned at Honeybee Robotics, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman. Driven by her desire to make engineering a more welcoming field for women, she also teaches elementary school girls how to code at her local Girls Who Code branch and mentors underclassmen women in engineering.

In her free time, Madeleine enjoys hiking, climbing, and camping. She is excited to join Lockheed Martin this summer as a Brooke Owens Fellow and looks forward to combining her passions for climate action and aerospace.