West Pointer From Ossining Named Marshall Scholar

OSSINING, NY — An accomplished soldier-scholar, Ossining High School graduate Emma San Martin, has already made an impact in the world of science and engineering. Now she has won a prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

A member of Company F-4, Class of 2022 at the U.S. Military Academy, she is a Mechanical Engineering major with an Aeronautics minor. "Her accolades are vast and below is just a snippet of the impact she is making in the STEM world," West Point officials said in a news release.

She invented a carburetor de-icing device for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles which is U.S. Patent Pending. As part of a collaborative study with Mechanical Engineering faculty members, she developed a set of twisted rotor blades for use on a robotic miniature helicopter. (The process used to develop the new rotor blade can possibly serve as a model for future vertical lift advancements. This development will also provide an enhanced understanding of vertical lift for future cadets.)

She is currently modifying a wind tunnel to simulate complex urban wind profiles, which will be used to improve the Army’s operational UAVs and she is also studying the effects of rotor spacing on UAV slipstream interference.

She has published her research in postural control and aeromechanics with the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Her work has earned research grants from the ASB, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.

San Martin was born in Chile, and after listening to her father describe his childhood in Chile under Pinochet, she was determined to defend freedom through service as both a soldier and scientist.

San Martin touched base with Patch for a Q&A.

PATCH: What from your time at Ossining High School has factored into your success so far, both at West Point and in winning a Marshall Scholarship?

SAN MARTIN: The single most important thing has been OHS’s Science Research program, which is taught by Mr. Piccirillo and Ms. Holmes. Through the program, I conducted a 3-year graduate-level biomechanics research study at the New York Hospital for Special Surgery while still in high school. That experience challenged me and exposed me to the world of research and development at exactly the right time, inspiring me to pursue biomechanics research at West Point, too, and eventually a career in aerospace research. The discipline may be different, but the spirit of exploration is the same, and it was born in that classroom.

PATCH: What lessons from OHS will you carry into the future?

SAN MARTIN: I’ve already mentioned the science research program, but I learned more than just hard science. I came to understand that research – even an independent study - is always a team effort. It takes many experts working together to answer challenging questions. I argue that communication skills are every bit as important as scientific skills if you’re really hoping to make a difference as a researcher.

PATCH: What about Ossining and OHS do you remember most fondly?

SAN MARTIN: Always feeling at home. No matter what class I was in, I never felt like I was being excluded or singled out for my appearance, interests, or abilities. OHS has always had an inclusive culture, and I think this comes directly from having such a diverse student body. Listening to my friends at USMA talk about how cliquey their schools have really made me appreciate the way that OHS brings everyone together.

San Martin served as a Cadet Basic Training company commander last summer and is now the executive officer for her battalion. Her work with joint training operations at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., convinced her to pursue a commission as a military intelligence officer.

First, as a Marshall Scholar, she will pursue a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Glasgow and a Master of Science in Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics, Flow Management and Fluid-Structure Interaction from the Imperial College London.

Learn more about her in this video.