Capitol Technology University is proud to announce Astronautical Engineering undergraduate student, Elijah Mister, was selected for the Sigma Gamma Tau, Mid-Atlantic Regional, Undergraduate Award. Founded in 1953, Sigma Gamma Tau (SGT) membership is limited to those students who exhibit distinguished scholarship in Aerospace Engineering.
With about 50 Chapters and 24,000 members, being selected for one of only seven regional student achievement awards puts Elijah in a very select group of SGT members. This competitive honor reflects Elijah's academic excellence, technical skills, student leadership roles, and contributions to the field at an early stage in his career.
Capitol Technology University established its chapter of SGT just a year ago under the guidance of Professor Jeff Volosin, AE Program Director. Within that short time frame, the honor society has already helped foster high-achieving students like Elijah and has elevated the institution’s presence within the aerospace academic community. Elijah’s recognition serves as an early indicator of the impact this chapter is having, demonstrating how quickly the program is producing and recognizing distinguished scholars.
Elijah’s leadership contributions to Capitol Tech’s AE program have been significant. He was a team member on the balloon payload that measured radiation levels during the 2024 solar eclipse. He was also the project manager for the Senior capstone project to design and build a gamma-ray spectrometer sounding rocket payload that will be launched from NASA’s Wallops Island facility in June. This payload combines the high-energy spectrometer with a Jetson Nano AI GPU that will act as an on-board “scientist”, examining the output of the spectrometer and prioritizing “interesting” looking science for downlink on the payload’s Iridium link. Elijah also led the successful effort to design, build, and fly a LiDAR balloon payload system for measuring atmospheric particulates up to 100,000 feet, as a proof-of-concept for low-cost atmospheric monitoring systems.
In addition to his academic accomplishments, Elijah has spent the past year as an intern with ASRC Federal, supporting weather satellite operations at the NOAA Space Operations Facility in Suitland, MD.
These accomplishments underscore the personal achievements of our students and the momentum building within Capitol Tech’s Astronautical Engineering program—where students learn rocket and satellite design and operations, as well as participate in payload launch initiatives like NASA’s RockSat 2026. These efforts allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world aerospace challenges, preparing them for careers in the rapidly evolving space industry. As the program grows, it continues to open doors to innovative research and collaborative projects in astronautics and beyond.
Professor Volosin, who has worked with Elijah throughout his time at Capitol Tech, noted that “Elijah’s selection for the Mid-Atlantic Sigma Gamma Tau student award is well deserved. It recognizes all aspects of his performance, from academics to leadership to community service. My goal as the director of the AE program is to support each of our students as they develop all these skills through classroom training—and most importantly, through hands-on projects and internships. Elijah has played a significant role in mentoring younger students who will now step up to fill these roles.”