Aviation runs in Abigail Poropatich’s family. Her parents worked as commercial airline pilots and she began taking flying lessons when she was 17 and is now pursuing her private pilot license. Poropatich will follow them into the aviation field. However, Poropatich looks to set a different course for her journey.
The Clemson University senior who is double majoring in physics and computer science hopes to use her diverse skill set in aviation, physics, and computer science, to pursue a career at the intersection of flight and science and serve in an administrative government role, where she would be able to influence scientific policies. Inspired by the Schrodinger’s cat thought experiment in high school AP physics, Poropatich developed a passion for physics and fell in love with the idea that physics is everywhere and the basis of all sciences and life.
As encouraged by faculty at Clemson, Poropatich decided to join a biophysics lab with Associate Professor Hugo Sanabria and Adjunct Professor Joshua Alper, assuming she would later attend medical school. Poropatich studied neural cell behavior and spectroscopy, presenting research at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as a part of the ACCelerate Smithsonian Festival. Poropatich decided to double major in computer science after noticing the deep connection between physics and computing. She began working on laser acquisition for data transmission using Python and slowly combining both her passions as she worked through both degrees.
Looking for internships that combined her passion for flying and airplanes with her computer science and physics skills, Poropatich began a software engineering internship for Textron Aviation last summer. The company builds everything from private jets and military/corporate helicopters, to the type of small single engine aircrafts Poropatich flies. She worked on aircraft systems engineering testing to create a control panel under a U.S. Navy contract for aircraft simulators, which is used by instructors to launch an airplane during simulation training. Poropatich has accepted an offer to work as a technology analyst for Deloitte Government and Public Services after her graduation in December. She also plans to fly on the side while working towards her commercial aircraft license.
Written by David Brandin
Adapted from Interest in aviation, physics fuels Abigail Poropatich’s career goals | Clemson News
