Mechanical engineering senior Olivia Lanum leads UM Rocket Team
Olivia Lanum was happy simply to be on the University of Mississippi Rocket Team four years ago. This year, the Ole Miss senior was ecstatic to be the team’s leader.
“I had been a member since my freshman year, and it was an incredible experience to lead the team,” said the mechanical engineering major from Brandon. “My favorite part was watching the team develop and seeing growth in each individual.”
The team, established in 2016, is open to all Ole Miss students interested in the aerospace industry.
Members of the UM Rocket Team participate annually in international competitions, and, despite having to pivot plans from competition due to COVID, several of the members designed, built and launched nine rockets this spring.
“I’m so happy I was able to be a part of this growth,” Lanum said. “The School of Engineering recognized this leadership by presenting me with the Outstanding Senior Leadership Award.”
Arrival and Delivery
Lanum decided to attend Ole Miss after being accepted into the Center for Manufacturing Excellence program.
“I knew this program would give me a unique skill set as a mechanical engineer,” she said. “I also liked the size of the program because it was giving me the benefits of a small university while still having the resources of a large one.
“I’m glad I decided to specialize in manufacturing through this program because (it) prepared me for my career as a manufacturing engineer.”
Lanum epitomizes the best of what UM’s Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence program has to offer, said Tyler Biggs, CME’s interim associate director for external operations.
“Beginning her freshman year, she constantly challenged herself both inside and outside of the classroom,” Biggs said. “She has formed her own path in the aerospace sector, and we look forward to seeing her continued success in her professional career.”
Most Memorable Moments
Designing, building and launching rockets ranks high among Lanum’s most memorable experiences at Ole Miss.
“It was great to be a part of a team that worked for countless hours on a project and to see that success,” Lanum said.
Another remarkable experience was serving on the Engineering Student Body Leadership Council, she said. The organization plans events for the entire engineering student body, such as the engineering formal, engineering tailgating and professional panels.
“It was very rewarding to serve the student body and plan events that everyone could enjoy,” she said.
Pandemic Problems, Solutions
Lanum has adjusted well during COVID-19. When the pandemic forced UM to shift from in-person to remote learning, two mechanical engineering professors eased the transition, she said.
“Dr. (Taiho) Yeom (assistant professor of mechanical engineering) and Dr. (Yiwei) Han (assistant professor of design and manufacturing) have done a fantastic job with the transition to remote learning,” Lanum said. “Both have been very understanding and accommodating of students’ individual situations and have offered remote office hours.”
An undergraduate research assistant, Lanum said working remotely has also given her more time for office hours.
“This format has given me the flexibility to spend more time working as an undergraduate research assistant and gain work experience as a manufacturing engineer,” she said.
Co-op Experience
While an Ole Miss undergraduate, Lanum gained co-op experience at such companies as Tesla and SpaceX. Though she said the experience was incredible, she also found that returning from her internships to classes was not easy.
“Coming back to college classes after working for a semester was a difficult transition at first,” she said. “I spent extra time watching YouTube videos to refresh my memory on material I had forgotten. I also made new friends in my classes because I was on a different schedule than my initial classmates.”
Though it wasn’t the easiest option, Lanum said she’s glad she gained co-op work experience while in college.
“I learned about what engineering disciplines I was interested in and met people from all over the country,” Lanum said. “When I returned to campus, my grades actually improved because of all the new skills I had gained.”
By Edwin Smith/University Marketing & Communications
