Sophomore Elliot Salas 鈥�24 is consecutively pursuing bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering and Computer Science鈥檚 4+1 Program. He also minors in computer engineering. 颅
Elliot Salas 鈥�24 remembers when his kindergarten teacher first handed him Volume One of a mini encyclopedia set. The precocious five-year-old flipped to the entry marked 鈥淎erospace鈥� and gazed in rapt amazement at pictures of futuristic spacecraft and launch vehicles. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I fell in love with outer space,鈥� admits the 51爆料网 sophomore, who hopes to pilot his own spaceship someday. 鈥淪ince then, I鈥檝e often looked to the sky, wondering what awaits discovery next.鈥�
A first-generation student, Salas is using the in the (ECS) to pursue his dreams while consecutively earning bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in electrical engineering (EE). He鈥檚 rounding out his five-year education with a minor in computer engineering, also in ECS.
Salas plans to join the growing ranks of Syracuse alumni involved with space travel, including Eileen Collins 鈥�78, H鈥�01; Story Musgrave 鈥�58, H鈥�85; and His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud G鈥�99. Common among all of them is a keen appetite for design, innovation and problem-solving鈥攁ttributes shared by Salas鈥� childhood hero, Neil Armstrong. 鈥淎stronauts work well under pressure,鈥� says Salas, referring to the now-famous incident in which Armstrong鈥檚 crewmate Buzz Aldrin used a pen to fix a broken circuit breaker on their lunar module.
Salas in ECS鈥� flight simulator, located in Link Hall. Membership in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics entitles him to fly the simulator, which is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world. 颅 颅
Learning by Doing
Engineering is like oxygen to Salas, who graduated from the Energy Institute High School in Houston. The first magnet school of its kind in the country, the institute gave him a thorough grounding in electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The school鈥檚 project-based learning approach also forced him out of his academic comfort zone. 鈥淚 did a lot of group projects involving complex questions and real-world problems,鈥� says Salas, who graduated summa cum laude. 鈥淚t was learning by doing.鈥�
Salas鈥� schooling culminated with his selection as a Texas High School Aerospace Scholar. The yearlong appointment gave the senior a NASA-centric view of subjects like Earth science, electrical and mechanical engineering, mathematics, and aeronautics. The program also sparked his interest in Artemis I, the first in a series of upcoming NASA missions devoted to human exploration of the moon and beyond. 鈥淚 graduated high school wanting to be the first person on Mars,鈥� says Salas, a regular at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Making electricity work for you isn鈥檛 something you just read about in a book. You have to dig deep into the design process, ask difficult questions and challenge the status quo.
Elliot Salas 鈥�24
At Syracuse, Salas is turning his skills and interests into a high-minded career. He currently is brushing up on EE fundamentals鈥攎ostly signals and systems, analog and digital signal processing, frequency domain, and communications technology. While introduced to some of these concepts in high school, Salas feels like he is reconnecting with them in a deeper, more intentional way.
Circuit analysis, which involves the designing, building and testing of electrical networks, is his wheelhouse. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fundamental to everything I do,鈥� he says, recalling the time that a professor built a circuit so complex that it virtually defied explanation. 鈥淢aking electricity work for you isn鈥檛 something you just read about in a book. You have to dig deep into the design process, ask difficult questions and challenge the status quo.鈥� Salas hopes such structured, inventive thinking will lead to a job at NASA or one of its private counterparts, like Elon Musk鈥檚 SpaceX or Jeff Bezos鈥� Blue Origin. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no substitute for experience.鈥�
Launching Your Dreams
Ten years ago, Salas鈥� family lost everything to the Great Recession and was forced to flee Seattle for Houston. His father, a Mexican immigrant with a high school education, struggled to find work. Elliot wondered if he was bound for a similar fate.
Everything changed in April of 2020, when Salas was admitted to Syracuse. 鈥淚t was one of the biggest days of my life,鈥� he says, adding that several in-state institutions, like the University of Houston, also expressed interest. 鈥淯ntil then, I thought I was destined for vocational school.鈥�
I tell incoming first-gen students that Syracuse can be the launchpad to your dreams. I鈥檓 proof of that.
Elliot Salas 鈥�24
Despite the one-two punch of COVID-19 and an unexpected medical procedure after high school, Salas quickly made his presence known on campus. He credits the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs for lining up grants and scholarships for him and organizations like New Student and Family Programs for providing support of an emotional kind.
One of the first people Salas befriended at Syracuse was Jimmy Luckman, then coordinator of the . His drive and passion were evident on day one, says Luckman. 鈥淓lliot took full advantage of the pre-welcome, where he connected with other new students in small-group settings. He also asked a lot of questions. Elliot wanted to be prepared as possible for college.鈥�
Salas has since come full circle, serving as a 鈥機use First Leader for the Pre-Welcome Program. In this capacity, he mentors fellow first-generation students and volunteers at welcome signature events on campus. 鈥淚 tell incoming first-gen students that Syracuse can be the launchpad to your dreams,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 proof of that.鈥�
Igniting Future Imaginations
Salas with Eileen Collins 鈥�78, H鈥�01 at last fall's Orange Central. 鈥淔or a famous astronaut, she鈥檚 surprisingly down to Earth,鈥� he says.
If relationships are like mirrors, then Salas has gleaned volumes from peers and professors alike. Bonnie Choi, who taught him piano in the , applauds his 鈥渟mart, focused and no-nonsense demeanor.鈥� Jared Welch, a junior EE major, nurtures his interest in entrepreneurship.
Jonathan Hoster 鈥�02, G鈥�11 has used his alumni contacts to open doors for Salas. The ECS recruiter recalls how he recently put Salas in touch with NASA鈥檚 Benjamin Heyman 鈥�16, giving him first-hand insight into Mission Control operations in Houston. 鈥淓lliot brings a warm, welcoming personality to every corner of campus and to all situations. Everyone who meets him is better for it,鈥� Hoster says.
When not cracking the books, Salas may be found doing lab work, flying one of the world's most advanced flight simulators (located in Link Hall) or hobnobbing with luminaries like Eileen Collins 鈥�78, H鈥�01 at Orange Central. 鈥淔or a famous astronaut, she鈥檚 surprisingly down to Earth,鈥� says Salas of the first female pilot and commander of a U.S. space shuttle.
ECS Dean J. Cole Smith describes Salas鈥� blend of maturity, drive and optimism as 鈥渆verything we hope to see in a Syracuse student.鈥� 鈥淓lliot works hard and takes advantage of engineering opportunities that arise because of his diligence. He also seeks education that complements his major field and engages in creative arts that help him stay well-rounded,鈥� continues Smith, also an electrical engineering and computer science professor. 鈥淥n top of it all, he finds a way to stay connected to and serve his community.鈥�
Ergo Salas鈥� involvement with the campus chapters of the and the , along with the planning committee and the Student Association鈥檚 Sustainability Committee. He also makes time for his sister, Melanie, a first-year biology major.
One of Salas鈥� favorite spots is the Catholic Center on Walnut Place, where he volunteers as a sacristan and small-group leader. Father Gerry Waterman smiles at the memory of Salas giving him a small, wooden fisherman nutcracker for Christmas. 鈥淓lliot is like a fisher of men and women, bringing people together to practice their faith. He is a kind, generous soul,鈥� Waterman says.
Ever humble, Salas admits that all he wants to do is make his family proud. That his father was recently hired by Tesla Energy Ventures, near Houston, is proof that things are turning around. 鈥淭he sky鈥檚 the limit, right?鈥� Salas asks half-jokingly. Then again, for someone intent on pushing the boundaries of space, the sky is just a starting point.
