Sammi Rocker, 2021

Sammi Rocker (BS 1’8, MS ‘19) is currently the Test and Evaluation Manager for the U-2 Program at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. In this role, she oversees a team of engineers, technicians, and test pilots to maintain the U-2 fleet’s operational relevance by evaluating the readiness of upgraded avionics and mission systems through flight test before deploying them to the field. She supports several other ADP programs across the ISR and UAS portfolios as a flight test engineer. She has also served as the Skunk Works intern program coordinator for Summer 2020 and an advisor for Summer 2021, establishing a recurring curriculum of events and enabling feedback channels for interns across multiple sites.

During her time at Virginia Tech, she held several internships with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, spanning disciplines of flight test, aircraft conceptual design, and systems engineering. As a student in the AOE department, her graduate research under Dr. Seidel in the Aerospace Structures and Materials Lab explored structural health monitoring applications of carbon nanotubes in solid rocket propellant. She also served as a teaching assistant, helping instruct several undergraduate AOE courses.

She has aspirations to continue down the track of technical leadership, expanding her breadth and depth of knowledge so that she can help shape the trajectory of the aerospace industry.

Select Awards and Recognitions:
(2021) Lockheed Martin NextGen Bravo Award
(2021) U-2 Program Employee of the Month Award 
(2019) Aviation Week / AIAA “Tomorrow’s Technology Leaders: The 20 Twenties” Award
(2018) Martin Marietta Virginia Tech Graduate Fellowship
(2018) Virginia Tech Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Senior
(2018) Sigma Gamma Tau Undergraduate Award - Mid Atlantic Region