Former NASA Intern Soars Through Bioengineering Degree

As the daughter of two aerospace engineers, 22-year-old Molly Townsend was practically destined to be solution-oriented.

“I see a problem and I want to know how to fix it,” said Townsend, who is majoring in bioengineering at Clemson University in South Carolina. “I wanted a challenge and I wanted to pursue my love for engineering, and bioengineering is the perfect fit.”

So perfect, she’s made the President’s List seven times for academic excellence—despite having a few doubts here and there.

“Anatomy was really scary,” she said. “I swear I didn’t sleep that semester. It was really bad.”

Townsend’s undergraduate days are almost behind her, but the newcomer to Poway is already trying to solve her next problem: Where to go for graduate school.

With two NASA internships under her belt, she has learned about the negative affects of antigravity on the body, and wants to direct her attention to the study of bone loss. She hopes to earn a doctorate in musculoskeletal biomechanics.

But until then, Townsend plans on spending her spring break enjoying her new home town with her parents—both of whom work at General Atomics. She says the city’s hiking trails have been her favorite so far.

“I would go and just pick a trail and see where it led me,” she said.

Patch would also like to congratulate Powegians Brent Beaver and Taylor Wheatland for making the Dean’s List at DePaul University in Chicago.