Slideshow: Meet the 2014 Rising Engineering Star

For the second consecutive year, Design News -- in partnership with Mouser Electronics -- set out to find engineers making big moves in the industry. The nominees were quite impressive. We were introduced to engineers working on underwater robotic fish, software for smart glasses, and prosthetic limbs.

After our editorial team and advisory board sorted through all the nominees, one engineer impressed us the most. That was Justine Haupt of Brookhaven National Laboratory, who is designing test systems for the focal plane components of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which will be the world's largest digital camera.

Her interests in technology and design are not limited to her laboratory job. She is a senior staff member in charge of instrumentation at the Custer Observatory, where she re-engineered the optical train for the largest public telescope on Long Island. She performed optical design, machined the mechanical components in her home shop, and installed and tested the system. Before studying physics, she got her pilot's license at age 18. She holds an FAA certified Advanced Ground Instructor rating. She refurbished the avionics and the cockpit of a 1947 single-engine plane (including installing a new intercom and strobe light system) before flying it. She is an avid glider pilot and paraglider.

Justine Haupt, a design engineer with Brookhaven National Laboratory, has been chosen
as this year's Rising Engineering Star.

"Justine is impressive in her range of excellence. She has strong engineering skills, but she also gives back to her professional community," said Design News senior editor Rob Spiegel. "It's the range of interests in competencies that make for a full career and a rich life."

The impressive people on this year's list are thinking outside the box and excelling in their fields. Their passion for their work is evident, and we look forward to seeing more of their inventive work in the future. As Kevin Hess, Mouser's vice president of technical marketing, told us:

Here's what Paul O'Connor, a colleague who nominated Haupt for the award, said about her:

Click the image below to view a slideshow of Haupt's work on the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope components.

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope ComCam (Commissioning Camera) for operating a 9-CCD subset of the LSST detector array. The telescope in Chile is expected to be operational in 2018. The high-resolution camera will survey the sky every three nights for 10 years.

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