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Simons STEM Scholars Program
HomeSimons Scholar ProfileSimons Scholars Profile - Elda Teka Berhaneyessus

Elda TekaBerhaneyessus

Image of Elda Teka Berhaneyessus

Cohort 2

Hometown: Prince George's County, MD

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Year: Sophomore

High School: Oxon Hill High School

Biography:

In Elda's time at Stony Brook, she plans on studying advanced and additive manufacturing and/or automotive engineering. In Elda's free time, she likes to produce music, build cars, draw, play volleyball, and go to the gym. Before becoming a Simons STEM Scholar, Elda participated in the 2024 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), PEPCO Global EEE Electric Vehicle Grand Prix at NYU Abu Dhabi (2024) and DOEE Grand Prix in Washington D.C. (2024), and various projects building cars, robots, and other engineering builds.

Leading the Future:

"I see myself helping to build a professional environment that supports and uplifts underrepresented engineers like me—one that values self-expression and celebrates diverse cultures, even in the most rigorous STEM settings."

Why did you become a Simons STEM Scholar?:

"I chose Simons to be part of the effort to advance underrepresented populations in STEM."

What would you say to someone who is applying?:

"Be prepared to be challenged and to grow as a person. The experiences and knowledge you’ll gain here are invaluable—you'll be pushed to realize potential you never knew you had!"

Research Experiences:

Spring/Summer 2025 - Stony Brook University: College of Engineering and Applied Sciences under Dr. Lifeng Wang on "Development and Evaluation of Biodegradable Lattice Structures for Enhanced Energy Dissipation in Airdrop Applications"