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First impressions weren’t misleading for Delaney Baumberger, a first-year graduate student in mechanical engineering at ��«Ӱҵ.

When she visited campus as a senior at Blair High School just north of Omaha, Nebraska, the school wasn’t as distant as the 216 miles would suggest. Her dad, Patrick Baumberger, and several uncles had graduated from the SDSU engineering program, “so I grew up hearing about its strong reputation. When it came time to tour colleges in the Midwest, SDSU was an obvious choice to check out.”

One experience in particular helped her realize that attending Dad’s alma mater made sense.

She decided to sit in on a Thermodynamics II class (that in itself should tell you how serious Baumberger was about getting a good engineering education). John VerSteeg was the instructor.

“I still remember … being amazed at how friendly everyone was. The students worked together on problems and joked with the professor in a way that showed they had a great relationship. Years later, when I took that same class as a junior, it felt full circle to be part of that same collaborative energy,” Baumberger said.

Going into the college selection process, Baumberger said, “I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for in a university. I wanted a solid engineering program with experienced professors who cared about their students and worked to build real relationships. 

“I was also looking for a collaborative environment where students helped each other out and for a campus that felt welcoming — somewhere that wasn’t in the middle of a big city because that’s just not where I’m from or where I’d feel at home. I also hoped to find a place with a real sense of community, where I could make friends from different backgrounds and be part of something bigger than just engineering. SDSU really had it all.”

Activities range from robots to rock climbing

In her five years at SDSU, Baumberger has experienced a lot of it. Outside of engineering, she has been active in rock climbing, country swing dance, shooting sports and horse clubs as well as being an orientation leader and admissions ambassador.

Within engineering, she has been active in Baja and robotics clubs, president of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and treasurer of Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society, all while maintaining a 3.85 GPA.

Baumberger also led the SDSU entry in NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition, guiding the project from concept to completion, which was at the finals in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

“The environment at SDSU has exceeded my expectations,” Baumberger said. “The college-town vibe, with locals who actively support the school, reminded me of home. 

“The smaller town felt comfortable and familiar, yet the university offered a wide range of experiences, like D1 sports, large career fairs and events that brought together students from all kinds of degrees. It provided the perfect balance of a tight-knit community with big opportunities.”

Working with Air Force engineers

Baumberger’s latest opportunity is working under associate professor Jeffrey Doom on computational fluid dynamics simulations for hypersonic scramjet engines, especially focusing on clean fuel alternatives, in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. “This gives me the chance to contribute to cutting-edge research,” she said.

Baumberger gained a taste of it in her senior year. “Continuing with it as a thesis student has been a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience,” Baumberger said.

“I use computational fluid dynamics simulations and collaborate with engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory to validate and analyze data. This summer, I’ll have the incredible opportunity to work onsite at AFRL in Ohio, where I’ll observe physical testing in their wind tunnel and collaborate with their engineers. 

“I’m also thrilled to visit NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where I’ll get to see their hypersonic wind tunnel and other world-class facilities and meet some of their researchers. I’m excited to learn from these experiences, connect with brilliant engineers, and use the knowledge to guide me as I search for a career after completing my master’s.”

Baumberger is slated to finish her master’s degree in May 2026.

Grad school off to good start

She said she has enjoyed the increased level of independence in graduate school.

“Unlike undergrad, there’s less structure, fewer classmates to compete with and, ultimately, you’re the one who has to hold yourself accountable. It’s a challenge that really forces you to be self-motivated.”

So far she has done pretty good on that challenge, Doom said. “Delaney is an excellent student and has a bright future in the field of aerospace engineering.”

Baumberger noted, “With that lack of structure comes a lot of room for creativity and freedom in how you learn. In grad school, you get to focus on what truly interests you within your field. It’s a step up from college, where you pick a general degree focus. In grad school, you get to narrow it down and dive deep into a specific part of that field.”

For Baumberger, that is computational fluid dynamics, a field that appeals to her because its ability to efficiently simulate and test complex designs, offering insights that physical experiments often cannot. 

She also noted that graduate school provides more opportunities to lead and mentor. “Advising undergraduates through the aerospace club and Tau Beta Pi has been incredibly rewarding. It’s inspiring to help others grow while continuing to learn and grow myself.”

In addition to being president of the SDSU chapter of Tau Beta Pi, which limits membership to the top one-fifth of the class, Baumberger also is its graduate student adviser. This October Baumberger and other chapter officers participated in the national Tau Beta Pi convention in Rapid City.

That was about the time she was working with a group of undergraduate students to launch the SDSU Aerospace Club. Formal meetings began in January, and next school year they plan to undertake rocket building.

Career focus changes during college

Baumberger said college has not only been a time of bonding, building and growing, but also a time of direction.

“When I first enrolled at SDSU, I didn’t have any set career plans,” Baumberger said. “My main goal was just to make it to graduation because I knew how challenging the program would be. Since my dad and uncles all work in the manufacturing industry, that was really the only engineering career path I was familiar with. 

“So, at the time, I figured I’d probably end up in manufacturing engineering somewhere in the Midwest, ideally staying in South Dakota.”

But through participating in the RASC-AL competition and interacting with NASA officials as well as other students who were involved in NASA contests, “My career plans have evolved. I’ve developed a real passion for aerospace engineering and higher education. 

“My goal is to work in the aerospace industry, earn my PE license and eventually pursue a Ph.D. someday. Even with these aspirations, I still hope to settle in South Dakota and give back to the community that shaped me.”

That could put her back in the Thermodynamics II classroom, this time as professor.