Physics Student Wins $15K NASA Astronaut Scholarship

Drew Hodges started college research before his first official day on campus, and that early momentum just launched him into an elite circle of future space scientists.

The Clemson Honors student earned a 2026 Astronaut Scholarship, an award created by NASA astronauts themselves to support the next generation of space explorers. Only a handful of students nationwide receive this recognition each year.

The scholarship brings $15,000 in financial support, direct mentorship from current and former astronauts, and an invitation to present his atmospheric and space physics research at the foundation's national symposium in Houston. For Hodges, the mentorship opportunities excite him most.

His journey started nearly four years ago when he watched the first James Webb Space Telescope images stream live while participating in a summer astrophysics program at UNC Chapel Hill. Those moments convinced him that physics research was his calling.

At Clemson, Hodges wasted no time. He jumped into a physics-based deep learning lab through the Honors College's EUREKA program before classes even began, then quickly joined Professor Stephen Kaeppler's atmospheric physics lab that fall.

Kaeppler assigned him a complex computational project involving ionospheric rays and high-frequency radio waves. Within weeks, Hodges not only got the code running but produced initial results, teaching himself Lagrangian mechanics along the way to better understand the approach.

The Ripple Effect

Hodges' impact extends beyond his own research. He interned at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, improving advanced infrared cameras used for imaging clouds and wildfires from aircraft.

He traveled to Norway last November to help integrate and test a student payload for a NASA rocket mission. Now he's leading a Clemson student team building instruments, including a radiation sensor, for the 2026 RockSat-X mission launching from Virginia this June.

He also co-founded Clemson's chapter of the American Nuclear Society, organizing career panels, facility tours, and community outreach events. The group helps students understand how nuclear engineering applies to medicine, agriculture, and space exploration.

Hodges sees his future at the intersection of nuclear engineering and space science, combining his passions to support both clean energy and scientific exploration. His early start, relentless curiosity, and drive to bring others along for the journey show exactly why astronauts want to invest in his future.