A University of Texas at Dallas alumna has been awarded a fellowship from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Anja Sheppard BS’22, a Eugene McDermott Scholar, Goldwater Scholar and recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, was one of only 54 students nationwide to receive an $8,500 Phi Kappa Phi fellowship this year.
Phi Kappa Phi is one of the nation’s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor societies. It awards its fellowships to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study.
Sheppard, who earned her degree in computer science and minored in philosophy at UT Dallas, is working toward a PhD in robotics at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Douglas C. Dow, interim dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College and director of UTD’s Office of Distinguished Scholarships, said Sheppard exemplifies the community-oriented ideals of Phi Kappa Phi with her research, leadership and commitment to global awareness.
“As a computer scientist specializing in robotics but also minoring in philosophy, Anja’s undergraduate career mirrors the ideals of Phi Kappa Phi’s exploratory, multidisciplinary approach to learning,” he said.
A former NASA intern who described working for the agency as her dream job, Sheppard said she is working in the University of Michigan Field Robotics Group on space technologies this fall.
“I’m researching robotic terrain classification and navigation for Mars rovers,” she said. “I’m also taking a full load of classes, but in my free time I’ve been attending various seminars and lectures across different departments at the university.”
“As a computer scientist specializing in robotics but also minoring in philosophy, Anja’s undergraduate career mirrors the ideals of Phi Kappa Phi’s exploratory, multidisciplinary approach to learning.”
Dr. Douglas C. Dow, interim dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College
And for a change of pace, she squeezes in responsibilities as a DJ at the student radio station.
A philosopher as well as a scientist, Sheppard said the topic of “space ethics” — the idea that society should be intentional, careful and conscientious in the exploration of space — is important to her.
“Some of the biggest questions I think about include: What can we do to make the space industry more sustainable, both to preserve resources on Earth and to minimally disrupt other planets?” Sheppard said. “Can we create an anti-colonial space exploration philosophy? Can imagining new radical communities on other planets help us be more community-oriented on Earth?”
Sheppard is a “citizen scientist,” Dow said. “Beyond her scientific acumen, Anja is committed to research that is socially aware and ethically guided.”
The Phi Kappa Phi award will help her further her work with space ethics, Sheppard said.
“I’m heavily involved in an international young professional space industry network — the Space Generation Advisory Council — and the Phi Kappa Phi award will help me attend their events and maintain my relationships with other space scientists and enthusiasts from across the world,” she said.
UTD’s nominee for the award (each university chapter may nominate only one candidate) has won a fellowship every year since 2011.
“It’s a proud record of achievement for our students,” Dow said.