Marcos Sanson graduated in May and has an impressive undergraduate research resume that includes a stint with the U.S. Air Force.

Sanson, a computer science major, was among the presenters at the College of Computing's Innovation Day in December. The event included keynote speakers and panel discussions, while giving students a platform to showcase their research and capstone projects.

Sanson and his project attracted a lot of interest. 

During the summer, he completed an internship at the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico, where he focused on advancing AI for spacecraft control. 

“Let’s say you have two satellites in space and you want to refuel them, and you want to do it autonomously, without humans controlling them,” Sanson said. "With current methods, it takes one path: the optimal path. What we’re trying to do is give it multiple paths that you can pick and choose from. It’s providing a diversity of solutions.” 

Last spring, Sanson earned the highly competitive Goldwater Scholarship, awarded nationally to students pursuing scientific research careers.

He said his experience at GVSU has been instrumental in securing the scholarship, internship and fulfilling his academic goals. With aspirations of earning a doctorate, he credited close faculty mentorship for reinforcing his decision to attend Grand Valley.

“It's a one-on-one relationship where you're collaborating with a professor or a couple of professors,” Sanson said. “They know what you're working on, and they really help you out. They support your growth, and they just do so much above and beyond."