Extreme Engineer: Shelly Brimmeier
Extreme Engineer Quote
"I love my job because I'm constantly learning new things!"
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What She Does
Shelly works at Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, GA as an Aircraft Performance Engineer. Shelly works on the many aspects of how an airplane actually flies and simulations from how the number of passengers and baggage impacts the amount of runway needed for takeoff, to how much fuel will be needed to fly from New York to Tokyo, or how much landing distance is required if the runway is dry, wet, icy, or snow covered.
Making a Difference
Shelly makes a difference by mentoring co-op students working at Gulfstream and promoting aerospace at local schools.
Shelly makes a difference by designing an airplane that flies faster and farther, saving valuable time.
Why Engineering?
Shelly's love for engineering started early. During her summer vacations, her family visited Kennedy Space Center where she saw the Apollo capsule and the Atlas V rockets. When she was six years old she got to see a launch up close from the VIP seats. "It was so loud that I could feel the vibrations in my chest, and it was so amazing to see the entire sky light up as the rocket blasted the shuttle into the air", said Shelly. Another influence was a visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. where she could see the history of aviation and how it grew from gliders and the Wright Flyer to the Space Shuttle.
Shelly noted that it was these experiences coupled with learning how to build things with her dad that helped her see how to use the knowledge learned in school to come up with solutions to real real-life situations.
Advice
"Getting involved in various activities is a great way to really learn a lot about all aspects of life", says Shelly. When she was only 12, she joined the Civil Air Patrol where she was able to foster her interest in aerospace, and learned to fly. She was also involved in photography club, jazz choir, debate team, science club, and played varsity soccer and ran hurdles in track.
Shelly also suggests taking advantage of co-op and internship opportunities while in college because it is a great way to experience a job first-hand to test it out and see if that career really is a good path for you. It is also a great way to experience a few different companies to see what different corporate cultures can offer.
Don't forget about professional organizations! Many for engineering are aimed at each specific discipline. Shelly has been a part of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) since her freshman year in college, and notes that it has been a great resource for varied opportunities throughout her college and professional career. Shelly is very involved with K-12 outreach programs through AIAA and has worked on a new website called "Ask Polaris" aimed at answering questions that high school students interested in engineering and their parents have about going to college. Check it out at: http://www.askpolaris.org.
Hobbies
Shelly enjoys making wheel-thrown pottery, making jewelry, and sewing. She also takes dancing lessons, including swing, salsa and tango (but she says, "don't look for me on dancing with the stars anytime soon!"). Shelly also enjoys camping with friends and has backpacked into and camped in the Grand Canyon and has traveled to Switzerland, Italy and Germany to honor her Italian and German!
Education
Shelly attended high school at North Hills High School, in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA, and graduated from Penn State in December of 2001, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. In December 2008, she graduated with an MBA from Mercer University — her latest academic achievement!
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