HUMANITY FEATURE
OPENING DOORS TO DISCOVERY, ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
“Now, when I am designing parts in my classes, I take more consideration into how the final product will be assembled and maintained,” she explained. Savukinas also found her research inspiration in her classes, noticing a disproportionate number of female students. At Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus during the fall 2024 semester, 26% of the undergraduate College of Engineering students were female. She began to question how the seating location of female undergraduate students impacts academic success. “I reached out to Humanities and Communication Professor, Dr. Ashley Lear, and introduced her to my research idea. Lear recruited Kayla Taylor, an Electrical Engineering doctoral student,” Savukinas told us. “Working with these two women has been truly inspiring. They are each at the top of their respective fields and have so much knowledge and expertise that they were willing to share with me.”
Cassandra Savukinas (’25) is on a mission to make science more accessible. She fell in love with engineering in middle and high school and chose to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle to pursue her passion. In 2023, Savukinas joined Embry-Riddle’s Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition team as a first-year student and the team’s only non-maintenance major, where her engineering background proved valuable in problem solving and technical analysis. The Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition is an annual event that allows current and future maintenance professionals to compete in categories ranging from commercial airline and general aviation to space. Savukinas competed again in 2025, helping the team win the AireXpert Dream Team award and finishing first in an individual event. These experiences have given her a greater appreciation for the maintenance required to keep people safe in the air.
Savukinas presented her research findings at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Frontiers in Education Conference — thanks to her awards from the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the $1,500 travel grant from the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS). As part of the next generation of scientists and explorers, Savukinas is determined to make meaningful contributions to science and shape a more just and connected world. “Knowing the work I do could one day help create solutions rather than barriers is what keeps me focused and passionate,” she said. “I want to be part of a team that values curiosity, collaboration and making knowledge accessible — all while pushing the boundaries of what we know about space.”
SCIENCE IS FOR EVERYONE
Aerospace Engineering student Cassandra Savukinas is on a mission to make science more accessible.
Florida | Arizona | Worldwide & Online | embryriddle.edu | 10
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