2026 Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Recipients
Tristan Bernard, E’27, mechanical engineering, and Ian Rocha, E’25, chemical engineering, are recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, which enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The program encourages students to study and work in a diverse array of countries, areas and world regions, and languages.
Bernard is a Junior Mechanical Engineering Major at Northeastern University with experience in various fields like aerospace engineering and robotics. He has previously worked at GE Aerospace as an Engineering co-op, tackling various problems that help develop the future of flight. He also has experience in AeroNU on the propulsion and drone teams, and is an active member in Northeastern’s BESS (Black Engineering Student Society).
Rocha is pursuing their BS in Chemical & Environmental Engineering. They are passionate about sustainability, scientific innovation, and music. In their current work, they are dedicated to using material science and chemical engineering to solve high-impact climate issues. Throughout their degree, they have completed 4 co-ops at Electric Hydrogen, Tender Food, Caltech, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. They have also been involved on-campus in the Northeastern Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, serving as President from 2023-2024, and as an undergraduate lead in Research Alliance in Science & Engineering (RAISE).
See related Northeastern Global News article: Academic honors abound for students and faculty across the global network