#WSGCStudentSpotlight

Boris Kabistan-Henriquez
Senior
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Major: Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics
Minor: Computer Science

Boris Kabistan-Henriquez is a two-time recipient of an Undergraduate Scholarship and has been selected for this week’s #WSGCStudentSpotlight!

Boris is a first-generation Afro-Indigenous-American currently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics, as well as a certificate in Computer Science. Before transferring from Madison Area Technical College (MATC), Boris applied and was accepted to a collaborative program between NASA and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium called NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS). For this, he was flown out to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to partake in a design challenge wherein Boris and a team had to develop and streamline rovers for a Mars mission. On the team, Boris’ responsibilities included being the Assembly Engineer, as well as some programming for the rover.

In the future, Boris hopes to work with organizations making breakthroughs in the aerospace industry by mining asteroids, optimizing transit systems from Earth to space, and working on technologies and methods for the human settlement on Celestial bodies. His main, long-term goal, however, is to establish his own space agency in Latin America. Boris hopes this collaborative effort would provide bright minds with the opportunity they previously lacked due to poverty, and strengthen ties between the countries that make up the region.

Congratulations Boris Kabistan-Henriquez, and best of luck to you in your future endeavors!