UC engineer studying complex control systems

UC is a prestigious university, especially the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. My adviser Sameh Eisa's research philosophy and interests align with mine. I'm very proud to be working with him in the Modeling, Dynamics, and Control Lab. I had a positive impression of Cincinnati before I moved here, and I really loved it the moment I got here. In general, I love the U.S. and am very happy that I have the chance to be here studying and hopefully start working and settle here. 

Aerospace engineering is a field that is full of interesting systems and challenges to solve. In my PhD, I am working on dynamics and control of aerospace as well as other applications, an area that combines rigorous mathematics and cutting-edge engineering concepts. It's also an interdisciplinary field. All that makes my current field of study very exciting to me. I'm also doing a Master of Science in mathematics, which is a field I am not only very passionate about but helps with my PhD studies as well. 

I always love being able to help students understand the engineering, programming, and mathematical concepts they are being taught. I'm also grateful that I managed to help some students start their research with some of the amazing professors here at UC. For me, the University of Cincinnati has always been a place to learn, grow, meet wonderful people and give back to the community. My time here at UC is something that I will always be grateful for. 

I'm proud of my very good progress in my PhD, which was only possible thanks to the continuous support of my PhD adviser Sameh Eisa and my co-adviser Peter Stechlinski from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Maine.

During my PhD, we managed to publish in prestigious places such as the Journal of IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. We managed to win the NSF grant because of our work, which is awarded to very few groups. I'm also proud that I'm doing an MS degree in mathematics alongside my PhD in aerospace engineering. I'm able to maintain a high GPA in both programs without compromising my research and learning. That also was made possible thanks to the support of my PhD adviser and my mathematics MS adviser, Hyunjoong Kim.

During my PhD, I was awarded some prestigious awards, such as the SIAM Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp award, the Research Publication Award from the Department of Mathematics at UC, the NSF workshop student award, the American Control Conference (ACC) student travel award and the student IEEE travel award. 

I'm expected to graduate in the summer of 2026. I'm hoping to eventually get a tenure-track professor position at a university in the U.S. I generally love research, and I'm currently aiming for postdoctoral positions in national labs and universities to increase my experience in research. I'm also interested in working in research and development positions in companies with a high research focus. 

I love trying new hobbies. I'm especially interested in hobbies that involve physical activity such as lifting weights, calisthenics, soccer, running, and cycling. I also like reading a lot, especially about philosophy and history. I occasionally play disc golf, and I recently picked up archery. I like traveling and going hiking with my lovely wife. I also like playing chess and PC strategy games. 

Featured image at top: Hesham Abdelfattah is thankful for his time at UC. Photo/UC Marketing + Communications.