PARI Scholars Program provides opportunities for undergraduates looking to break into hypersonics
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As the United States aims to expand its hypersonic capabilities, a robust and specialized workforce is required to develop new systems and technologies. In response to this need, the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI), in partnership with the Engineering Undergraduate Research Office (EURO), has created the PARI Scholars Program, which recruits undergraduate engineering students to work on multiyear projects with real-world applications and sponsors at PARI’s Hypersonics Lab. The program is currently accepting applications for fall 2025.
“Through creation of the PARI Scholars Program, Purdue Applied Research Institute and Purdue University are leading the way in delivering to industry and government critically needed, security-cleared talent with experience in highly technical fields, such as hypersonics,” said Greg Scofield, director of the PARI Hypersonics Lab. “This program further cements Purdue as an asset to our nation’s security and demonstrates our commitment to championing support for national defense priorities.”
The PARI Scholars Program enables undergraduates to support cutting-edge research in hypersonic ground testing. Students will get hands-on experience with advanced experimental techniques, additive manufacturing and high-enthalpy wind tunnel testing in PARI’s state-of-the-art Hypersonics Applied Research Facility. Students are encouraged to apply as early as their freshman year to fully immerse themselves in a project and develop relationships with faculty, staff, and industry and government partners.
Julio Hernandez, characterization engineer at PARI’s Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (HAMTC), spearheaded the program following conversations with industry and government partners about their desire to hire students who worked on HAMTC projects.
“We wanted to create this pipeline of talent and give students the chance to work on interdisciplinary, multiyear projects in sensitive environments,” Hernandez said. “With this program, we can direct students into the defense sector and help them to pursue careers in a high-demand and high-reward field.”
Entering the field of hypersonics can be challenging as it requires specialized training in areas such as aerodynamics, materials science or additive manufacturing. Gaining that experience requires access to opportunities that expose students and trainees to facilities, technology and expertise throughout the hypersonics industry.
Accepted students will be placed on a project with faculty, staff and graduate student mentors who provide guidance, oversee their progress and facilitate connections with industry and government partners. Once a student joins the PARI Scholars Program, they are encouraged to stay on their project through graduation, including during the summers where they can either continue working at the Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility or at their project’s partner site.
“During the summer, these students could either be full-time PARI employees or complete a summer internship with an industry or government partner in order to see the other side of the program,” Hernandez said. “So, this really benefits the students. By the time they start their careers or transition into graduate school, they will be leagues ahead of their peers.”
Additionally, since all projects deal with sensitive information and technology, PARI will sponsor security clearances for all students, which not only allows them full access to the Hypersonics Lab’s research facilities but also opens up career opportunities and enables them to get started immediately at their first real jobs — a benefit for both new hires and employers.
“A security clearance is no longer an expense that an employer will have to make,” Hernandez said. “As soon as these students graduate, they will have multiple years of experience working in the hypersonics field and an active security clearance that will allow them to get started immediately rather than waiting months and months for that process to play out.”
Mark Lewis, PARI president and CEO who has a lifelong career in aerospace engineering, could not agree more. “Graduating with hands-on experience is invaluable — but pair that with a security clearance and you’ve just moved yourself to the front of the line,” Lewis said. “In defense, it’s not just about what you know, but what you are trusted to know.”
While the advantages to students and industry are clear, the program also benefits Purdue. Rather than having to spend time finding eligible students, faculty can draw from PARI’s student workforce to help them work on sensitive hypersonic or defense-adjacent projects. It also helps to advance Purdue’s national security and technology initiative and expands the research portfolio for EURO.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with PARI on this initiative,” Kay Kobak, associate director of EURO, said. “The PARI Scholars Program offers students a rare opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research with real-world national security impact — starting as early as their first year. It exemplifies our mission to make research accessible and meaningful while building long-term partnerships that prepare students for high-impact careers.”
The PARI Hypersonics Lab is accepting applications through the PARI Scholars program portal on the EURO website. Applications are accepted prior to the start of each academic semester and the summer terms to allow for clearance-eligible candidates to initiate the background investigation process before their start date. Prior research experience is encouraged but not required, and the program is open to all students, even first-time researchers. Students can also apply through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships program or the First-Time Researcher Fellowship to receive additional support. While the program is currently focused on hypersonics, PARI plans to extend it to its other labs in the future.
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Media contact: Lindsey Macdonald, macdonl@purdue.edu