Dylan Clark

Dylan Clark was drawn to math, science and engineering from an early age. As an Arizona native researching engineering programs, he saw Arizona State University as a natural choice.

Aerospace engineering stood out among the options. Clark was especially interested in aeronautics, the part of the field focused on aircraft and flight systems such as airplanes, helicopters and drones.

“The fall semester of my third year, when courses focused more specifically on aerospace studies as opposed to generalized engineering, was the most challenging semester of my college education,” he says. “But it was also when I started feeling like I was becoming an aerospace engineer.”

Clark earned his master’s degree in aerospace engineering through ASU’s accelerated master’s degree program in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Among his most impactful learning experiences was a team capstone project to design and construct a prototype of an autonomous fixed-wing aircraft that could locate a hockey puck on a desert field. Clark led the external systems sub-team, which was responsible for designing the aircraft from structural and aerodynamic perspectives and predicting its flight performance.

The team constructed the aircraft and successfully conducted a test flight.

Clark’s academic performance earned him a New American University President’s Award and the Dr. Lee P. Thompson Memorial scholarship, the Fulton Schools Graduate Scholarship and the Accelerated Master’s Award. He also earned a prize scholarship for his performance in the ASU Academic Bowl in all four years of his undergraduate studies.

In addition to his academic work, Clark held several student jobs at ASU, including subject area tutor, aerodynamics teaching aide and aerodynamics lab teaching assistant. He says each role gave him the opportunity to help students gain confidence in how they think and solve problems.

“I feel like each was a great opportunity to be a leader for students, pushing themselves to be better academics,” he says.

Clark says students considering engineering should think beyond whether they are good at math and science.

“While math and science are extremely important to engineering, passion is also important,” he says. “Without passion and curiosity, they will probably find it difficult and will grow weary of it. So, I recommend first finding out if they are truly passionate or curious before deciding to major in engineering.”

Clark’s plans for after graduation are guided in part by a desire to contribute to the success of industry in his home state.

“I’ve spent my whole life in Arizona, and all of my friends and family are here,” he says. “So, I will be working in the aerospace industry somewhere in the near-Phoenix area, and I plan to be involved at some point with the field of national defense.”

Favorites

Hobby: Wake-surfing
TV show: Supernatural
Favorite sport (to watch): Golf
Book: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Geeky possession: Collection of puzzles (jigsaw, wooden, 3D “crystal,” 3D foam)

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2026 class.

Written by Joe Kullman