Meet Kirk Dahl, Aerospace Engineering's 2020 Outstanding Senior

This year’s departmental convocation ceremonies, switched to a virtual format at the 11th hour due to COVID-19 restrictions, were truly one of a kind. They also celebrated a class that was one of a kind.

Members of the Class of 2020 conducted research on aircraft design, water quality and the science of soundwaves. They built canoes out of concrete. They worked to make mines safer, biomedical devices more efficient, and our campus – and our world – more sustainable. They mentored classmates and competed in national competitions. At the ceremonies, the college honored an outstanding graduating senior from each of its 15 majors.

Kirk Dahl, this year’s outstanding senior in aerospace engineering, will be starting a full-time position in June, as a systems engineer at Raytheon. Originally, however, he wanted to be a pilot.

“I ended up choosing aerospace engineering, and I fell in love with it,” said Dahl, who was involved with Students for Sustainability, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, and Engineers Without Borders. “There are hundreds of clubs on campus, and I’m sure I missed out on a lot of opportunities, but the ones that I chose were absolutely worth it. I really enjoyed the community I was able to create for myself, as well as how we impacted others.”