• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2026

• University of Virginia, Systems Engineering & Astronomy, ‘27

• Mentor: TBD

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Sophia Crowder is an undergraduate Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, double-majoring in Systems Engineering with a space systems application and Astronomy, as well as minoring in Electrical Engineering.

She is driven by a lifelong sense of cosmic curiosity and a belief that exploration is not merely a technical endeavor, but a moral responsibility rooted in wonder, care, and collective stewardship. At UVA, she serves as President of the Rodman Scholars Council, where she leads programming and mentorship for over 100 of the university’s top engineering scholars, building bridges across disciplines and cultivating communities grounded in collaboration rather than competition. She is also a Teaching Assistant for Risk Analysis, supporting undergraduate and graduate students as they learn to model uncertainty and make decisions in complex systems. Through NASA’s Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience, she served as Lead Risk Analysis Officer on an 11-person team designing a spaceflight mission architecture, balancing ambitious goals with technical constraints and safety considerations.

Sophia’s hands-on experience spans both research and exploration. She has conducted geology and astrochemistry fieldwork in Iceland’s lunar-like terrain, researching in landscapes once used to prepare Apollo astronauts, and she has designed award-winning microgravity experiments, including an ISS-bound payload that combines engineering and artistic expression through Higher Orbits Go For Launch! program, reflecting her belief that creativity is not adjunct to science, but essential to it. Her work reflects her deep interest in human spaceflight, mission architecture, and the systems that keep astronauts safe while enabling discovery.

Beyond her technical pursuits, Sophia is a dedicated advocate for inclusive STEM education. She founded STEMSquad and ITGirls, outreach programs that have delivered over 100 workshops empowering young students, especially girls, to see themselves as scientists, engineers, and explorers. She also serves on advisory boards for organizations such as Hello Sunshine’s Sunnie, EtreGirls, IF/THENSheCan, and Higher Orbits, using mentorship and storytelling to expand access to opportunity and ensure more people feel they belong in the story of exploration.

Sophia hopes to pursue a career in human spaceflight mission design, specializing in risk analysis, systems engineering, and human-centered decision-making. She is motivated by the belief that space is a shared human heritage, and that the greatest measure of progress is not how far we travel, but how thoughtfully and inclusively we choose to explore. She is committed to helping build a future where exploration is bold, responsible, and deeply human.