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Liam Murray, an engineering doctoral student at South ��ֱ���� State University, is one of 28 people nationwide selected for a yearlong professional development program.

Murray, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at SDSU in 2023 and this May, is in the second cohort of NobleReach Fellows. Murray, originally of Omaha, Nebraska, was chosen from among 1,200 applicants. The cohort will have five in-person training sessions as well as monthly remote individual mentoring.

“I definitely feel very fortunate to be selected,” Murray said. “I feel like this has helped kickstart me professionally. I’ve already made massive connections with the other fellows.”

Applicants turned in their paperwork last fall and were selected this summer. The cohort’s initial gathering was in Washington, D.C., Aug. 4-15. The students and early career professionals heard from well-placed government and industry leaders about company organization, networking and “understanding the D.C. operating system,” Murray said.

Among those speaking were the chief technology officers of the U.S. Army and Navy and Robert Gates, the secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011.

Scholars engage in four areas: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, business process innovation and materials manufacturing. Their next gathering is Nov. 13-15, also in Washington, D.C., and will continue quarterly through June. A $15,000 stipend covers the scholars’ participation costs.

The scholars are placed within a government organization or one of five mission-driven industry partners.

Being mentored by defense lobbyist

Among those partners is AeroFly, the Brookings-based aerospace startup for which Murray already works. He serves both as an engineer and the business development lead, meaning he is in contact with private aerospace companies and government agencies to find partnership opportunities.

AeroFly is currently involved in two major efforts: Building “Rego-LIFT” a state-of-the-art extraterrestrial bulk material conveyor, aiming for a pilot mission on the moon, and developing drones for use for precision agriculture and defense applications.

Murray said the NobleReach Scholars Program is very valuable to AeroFly as it helps him develop as a government relations liaison and becomes more savvy in the procurement process. His mentor is Alex Gallo, of BGR Group, a lobbying firm in national defense that helps with procurement for startup defense companies and drafts provisions of the National Defense Act.

Received tour of West Wing of White House

Murray said the NobleReach program already is opening doors for him — right into the West Wing of the White House. During an after-hours social, Murray met Scott Gast, deputy counsel to the White House. He offered a tour of the West Wing of the White House, which Murray quickly accepted and included connecting with former Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

“I was preaching my roots all the way there,” Murray said in reference to his SDSU education and NASA contest experience that led to his current job.

Unless Washington calls with another opportunity, Murray should be in Brookings for at least another two to three years. That is how long he expects to take to complete his doctoral project, which uses a discrete element method simulation software called Project Chrono to creates computer simulations for the granular technology work that Aerofly is developing on its Rego-LIFT conveyor.