Paige Kassalen (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American electrical engineer.[1][2] At age 22, she was the only American, female engineer, and youngest member of the ground crew for the Solar Impulse 2 project.[2] In 2017, she appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the energy category.[2] After Solar Impulse, Kassalen helped Covestro build their strategy for materials for autonomous vehicles and shared her work at conferences around the United States. While pursuing her master's degree at Carnegie Mellon, she worked at the Carnegie Mellon Metro21: Smart Cities Institute.[3]
Paige Kassalen | |
|---|---|
 Kassalen working with Solar Impulse 2 in 2016 | |
| Born | May 19, 1993 (age 30) |
| Alma mater | Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer |
| Known for | Only American and youngest member of the ground crew for the Solar Impulse 2 project |
Early life edit
Kassalen was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 2011.[4]
Education edit
Kassalen received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 2015, where she was named the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering's Outstanding Senior and Sorority Woman of the Year.[1] After graduation, she accepted a full-time position at Covestro, a chemical company.[5]
In 2020, Kassalen received a Master of Information Systems Management from Carnegie Mellon.
Solar Impulse project edit
As a result of the partnership between Covestro and the Solar Impulse project, a position was created for a Covestro representative to join the Solar Impulse 2 flight team. Kassalen applied for this position, and in February 2016 she was offered the opportunity to join the ground crew for the solar-powered aircraft.[6][5] At 22, she became the youngest member of the crew and was also the only American woman involved in her team. While working as a member of the ground crew, Kassalen's responsibilities included resolving electrical problems in the aircraft and aiding in landing procedures.[5]
References edit
- ^ a b Mallon, Maggie. "Meet Paige Kassalen, the Only Female Engineer From the United States Making Solar-Powered Flight a Reality". Glamour. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ a b c "Paige Kassalen". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ "ImaginePittsburgh.com : Meet the Neighbors : Paige Kassalen". explore.imaginepittsburgh.com. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ Wagner, Katie (2016-07-05). "Running on empty". Mt Lebanon Magazine. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ a b c Marsh, Ariana. "Meet the 23-Year-Old Who Traveled the World on the First-Ever Solar-Powered Airplane". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ "How IEEE Member Paige Kassalen Made the Forbes 30 Under 30 List". IEEE-USA InSight. Retrieved 2020-05-30.