Former Oak Mountain student honored by UA alumni
Alex C. Few, a senior at the University of Alabama, recently received the 2014 Capstone Engineering Society Outstanding Senior Award.
Few is a graduate of Oak Mountain High School and is set to graduate this spring from UA with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering.
Along with this title, Few was given a $500 stipend to honor his achievements. He accepted the award at a ceremony honoring alumni, faculty and students earlier this month at NorthRiver Yacht Club.
“Over the course of my 20 years as an engineering educator, I have had the honor to work with some truly outstanding students,” said Dr. John Baker, head of the department of aerospace engineering and mechanics. “Among these, Alex Few easily stands out as one of the best students I have had the privilege to work with. Simply put, Alex Few is a premier student leader in the aerospace engineering program.”
A recipient of the UA Presidential and College of Engineering Leadership scholarships, Few is also a student in the UA Honors College. He was inducted into Sigma Gamma Tau, the national honor society for aerospace engineering students, and Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society. Additionally, he served as president of Sigma Gamma Tau.
As an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Semih Olcmen, associate professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics, Few worked on reducing rocket-nose drag, focusing schlieren system design and studying turbulent opposing jets. He is a key contributor on research to be presented at AIAA SciTech 2014.
His numerous campus activities include leading the UA Hovercraft Team. He has interned at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Southern Nuclear Operating Co. He has also been a teaching assistant for statics. Off campus, Few is involved at Calvary Baptist Church and is active in the community.
After graduation, Few will begin work with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
The Capstone Engineering Society is the alumni association for the UA college of engineering and was established in 1973. The CES began the Outstanding Senior Award in 1986 to honor an exceptional student who deserves distinction among his or her peers. An outstanding student is selected from the nine degree programs in the College, and the overall winner is determined by a selection committee after assessing each student’s academic performance, professional and technical activities, college leadership, external leadership and other activities.
– Submitted by Adam Jones / The University of Alabama