Shannon Alt

Throughout her childhood, Shannon was raised in an environment typical to that of children whose parents serve on active duty, living on numerous military installations until the beginning of her undergraduate studies. The unparalleled work ethic and steadfast commitment to duty that she was exposed to within her family inspired her to pursue a research career that could positively shape the lives of those in the community, and the lives of members of the military.

The dedication of her father and grandfather, who spent their professional careers as military officers, made clear to Shannon the sacrifices and risks which service members are willing to undertake. Shannon’s studies eventually transformed from equations and experiments on a page to very real questions relating to the people closest to her: Why weren’t sufficient chemo-protectants developed for use in Vietnam? How could better materials science characterization studies be performed for protection in helmets, etc?

Now, as a Navy spouse, Shannon is even more acutely aware of the demands facing service members. Currently, she is working towards her Masters in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and hopes to serve as a researcher in a laboratory affiliated with the Department of Defense to develop cutting edge engineering sensors and optical devices to support service members.