Originally from Broomfield, Colorado, Kate Lampo is a senior at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), Columbia University, where she is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Her work focuses on robotics for aerospace applications, and she plans to one day contribute to the development of robotic systems that enable the scientific exploration of our solar system.
At Columbia, Kate is the current Co-President of the Columbia Space Initiative (CSI), where she leads over 250 students working on 13 projects related to space science and engineering. She’s also the Structures and Thermals Co-Lead for CSI’s cube satellite team, where she’s working on developing Columbia’s first two satellites for launch in 2025 and 2027. Her previous work in CSI has focused on developing an autonomous astronaut rescue boat and novel lunar gripping device, the latter of which was selected by NASA for testing in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas.
Outside of CSI, Kate conducts research in Columbia’s Robotic Manipulation and Mobility Laboratory, where she works on designing and building robotic manipulators. Currently, she’s working on a robotic hand for Astrobee, a free-flying robot on the International Space Station. Previously, she conducted research as a Summer Scholar at Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute on a fleet of wildlife-tracking cube satellites, and she spent her freshman year working on a solar sail research project in Columbia’s astronomy department.
Last summer, she interned at NASA Ames Research Center, where she conducted fluid mechanics simulations validating the performance of the Dragonfly quadcopter that is headed to Saturn’s moon Titan. Beyond her technical work, Kate is dedicated to expanding access to STEM and aerospace education, and has recently worked to develop and implement an aerospace engineering minor at Columbia. As CSI’s former Director of Outreach, she has also volunteered extensively in schools throughout NYC, developing and delivering lessons on aerospace engineering concepts to thousands of middle school students during the past three years.
Established in 1953 to help strengthen ties between the US and the UK, the Marshall Scholarship provides for two years of postgraduate study in the UK. “The Marshall Scholarship recognizes academic achievement as well as leadership and ambassadorial potential, and we are thrilled to see Kate’s talents and hard work recognized with this award,” says Ariella Lang, associate dean of academic affairs and director of undergraduate research and fellowships. As a Marshall Scholar, Kate seeks to pursue an MSc by Research in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where she intends to conduct research at the Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) related to long-term autonomy for mobile systems.
Click here for more information on the Marshall Scholarship.