Jarifa: Studying Aerospace Engineering
Jarifa Shah is a third year Aerospace Engineering student. During her time at Queen Mary, she has been active in several societies, taking part in competitions and winning awards, and has presented her research at parliament. She took some time out from her Industrial Placement as an Application Engineer at Cummins Inc. to tell us about her experience at Queen Mary.
Discovering Aerospace Engineering
My initial interest for engineering originated from my fascination of Zaha Hadid's architectural style, that inspired me to design and create my own isometric drawings using CAD such as Google Sketch-Up. The mechanics behind the intricacies of her streamline designs intrigued me as it drew parallels to the design used in planes.
From this, I began my scientific research into engineering behind aviation. I was inspired by Gunjan Saxena, one of the first female air force pilots of colour. Through watching her biographical film, I learnt about her struggles working within a male dominated field. This drove me to pursue engineering with hopes of contributing to the mechanical and technological advancements being made.
Studying at Queen Mary
The Aerospace Engineering faculty within the School of Engineering and Materials Science has provided me with several opportunities to test various models in the wind tunnel facilities in the Whitehead Aeronautical Laboratory at university across my modules at university – something that has been inspiring to me for a long time.
"What truly makes Queen Mary unique is the range of diversity"
Everyday at university is a new day; I always look forward to learning new techniques and applying them to everyday tasks proficiently. What truly makes Queen Mary unique is the range of diversity seen on campus at all times. From my first year of university, I have engaged with various students and staff members from all different backgrounds, and it has been very welcoming since the moment I stepped into university.
The school provides multiple sources within the faculty with all the IT classes help and library facilities.
With several careers building workshop taken during Skills and Employability (SKEMP) week and with a very helpful placement officer, this has motivated me to consistently apply for placement opportunities available. Being able to take part in extra curricular activities such as QMentoring program and the Student Consultancy project, has enabled me to further network with students across the university in different courses and mentors in industry building my confidence skills.
Student Societies
During my time at university, I have taken part in several positions and societies. Being course representative for Aerospace Engineering two years consecutively, has given me the chance to build a strong relationships and help bridge the gap between students in the cohort and the student voice committee. Furthermore, I have been appointed co-chair for 2024-2025 year, where I have been able to bring my course rep skills in an organised way and provide views for all years and cohorts.
I have been a member of the Traction team (Propulsion sub team) at Hyperlink during my second year of studies where I learnt how manage my academics alongside my interests for trains. I specifically aided in brainstorming and building a new version of the LIM motor used for the hyperloop pod as part of the team. Additionally, in my 3rd year of studying at university, I am part of the Queen Mary Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (QMSEDS) Structure and Power team and working collaboratively to build a CubeSat for the Satellite team.
"It has been a privilege to present my research at Parliament."
Furthermore, being part of Queen Mary Centre for Undergraduate Research (QMCUR), a research initiative for interested undergraduate students like myself, I have been able to conduct a research project on the 'Development of Novel Surface Textures to Reduce Aerodynamic Drag'. This project has been showcased on multiple occasions such as presenting at the Industrial Liaison Forum and winning the best undergraduate research poster. It has also been a privilege to bring forward my research project to present at Posters in Parliament 2025 event.
I have also taken part in the SCP and PASS Mentoring scheme during my second year of studies where I was able to guide students in first year with their modules and aid in any queries they specifically had. During my time at SCP, I worked with London Higher Education and gained an insight into consultancy and its relevance within my sector of interests.