Brian Fischer Excels at Air Force Research Lab Internships
Friday, February 06, 2026
During his third summer internship at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Brian Fischer led a team of intern peers to complete a project for an Air National Guard unit. He will intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory this summer.
When many college students head to their summer internships, they work on projects alongside leaders in their field. Junior mechanical engineering major Brian Fischer's experience was a little different — he was the leader, managing a team of intern peers.
Last summer, at the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, Fischer led a cohort to develop a battery pack for an Air National Guard unit.
Fischer, who had just completed his sophomore year at Rose-Hulman, was almost solely responsible for the project.
"My mentor was the building leader...he really let me lead the project, assign tasks and delegate everything, run the meetings," Fischer said. "Our primary design review and our critical design review both (were run) by me, set up by me."
Because of Fischer's leadership, the team successfully completed their challenge, and the device was utilized in a squadron mission in November.
Fischer earned the position and the project through the Legacy pathway program, which pairs STEM-minded students with mentors and internships at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Fischer — whose father was a captain in the Air Force and now works as a civilian at Wright-Patterson — has completed three internships at the base, including an additional internship with the Air Force Research Laboratory and one with the Air Force Material Command.
In addition to the battery pack, Fischer's projects have included a cart for testing B-2 bomber equipment, a heavy lift kit to aid in search-and-rescue missions, behind-the-scenes logistics, and an MQ-9 Reaper for radio communications.
"There's a bit of pride in the fact that I'm continuing to help our nation," Fischer said. "I've had such great mentorship from the Air Force. Everyone's been really kind and wanting to share stuff with me."
He brought both his technical and his leadership skills to campus, where he joined the Battery Workforce Challenge's battery disconnect unit, developing a system to cut the vehicle's power in case of emergency. As the year progressed, he transitioned to leading the design team for the organization.
Though — somewhat by coincidence — Fischer keeps finding himself picking up electrical work, especially as it relates to batteries, he discovered his true passion in a class at Rose-Hulman: materials sciences. He found himself thinking about the class taught by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Eduardo Vitral, PhD, long after the bell rang.
"There's an untapped wealth of knowledge that I don't know, but I want to," Fischer said. "I spend the time researching it, and I feel like that's what passion is. Passion is continuing to want to explore a topic outside of what's required."
He'll have ample opportunities to explore that passion this summer with an internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Fischer was admitted to the Los Alamos Dynamic Summer School program, which enables him to learn through instructional sessions put on by Los Alamos researchers. Fischer will also be paired with a mentor for a 10-week research project, and as part of the experience, he will write a paper and present at a conference after the conclusion of his internship.
He connected with Los Alamos National Laboratory during a Rose-Hulman Career Fair, where four alumni recruited for the company.
"Getting to talk with them about the different opportunities, the mentorship, and what it really means and what the community is like really gave me the confidence of going for that internship," Fischer said.
The sense of community resonated with Fischer, who, from Rose-Hulman to Wright-Patterson to Los Alamos, has sought like-minded individuals to push him in his growth, no matter his role on the team.
"I think the most impactful part of college has been the connections I've made here at Rose," he said. "There are a lot of people that are passionate here, and just getting to be around people that have similar passions to you is great, and I've really enjoyed that."
Last summer, at the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, Fischer led a cohort to develop a battery pack for an Air National Guard unit.
Fischer, who had just completed his sophomore year at Rose-Hulman, was almost solely responsible for the project.
"My mentor was the building leader...he really let me lead the project, assign tasks and delegate everything, run the meetings," Fischer said. "Our primary design review and our critical design review both (were run) by me, set up by me."
Because of Fischer's leadership, the team successfully completed their challenge, and the device was utilized in a squadron mission in November.
Fischer earned the position and the project through the Legacy pathway program, which pairs STEM-minded students with mentors and internships at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Fischer — whose father was a captain in the Air Force and now works as a civilian at Wright-Patterson — has completed three internships at the base, including an additional internship with the Air Force Research Laboratory and one with the Air Force Material Command.
In addition to the battery pack, Fischer's projects have included a cart for testing B-2 bomber equipment, a heavy lift kit to aid in search-and-rescue missions, behind-the-scenes logistics, and an MQ-9 Reaper for radio communications.
"There's a bit of pride in the fact that I'm continuing to help our nation," Fischer said. "I've had such great mentorship from the Air Force. Everyone's been really kind and wanting to share stuff with me."
He brought both his technical and his leadership skills to campus, where he joined the Battery Workforce Challenge's battery disconnect unit, developing a system to cut the vehicle's power in case of emergency. As the year progressed, he transitioned to leading the design team for the organization.
Though — somewhat by coincidence — Fischer keeps finding himself picking up electrical work, especially as it relates to batteries, he discovered his true passion in a class at Rose-Hulman: materials sciences. He found himself thinking about the class taught by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Eduardo Vitral, PhD, long after the bell rang.
"There's an untapped wealth of knowledge that I don't know, but I want to," Fischer said. "I spend the time researching it, and I feel like that's what passion is. Passion is continuing to want to explore a topic outside of what's required."
He'll have ample opportunities to explore that passion this summer with an internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Fischer was admitted to the Los Alamos Dynamic Summer School program, which enables him to learn through instructional sessions put on by Los Alamos researchers. Fischer will also be paired with a mentor for a 10-week research project, and as part of the experience, he will write a paper and present at a conference after the conclusion of his internship.
He connected with Los Alamos National Laboratory during a Rose-Hulman Career Fair, where four alumni recruited for the company.
"Getting to talk with them about the different opportunities, the mentorship, and what it really means and what the community is like really gave me the confidence of going for that internship," Fischer said.
The sense of community resonated with Fischer, who, from Rose-Hulman to Wright-Patterson to Los Alamos, has sought like-minded individuals to push him in his growth, no matter his role on the team.
"I think the most impactful part of college has been the connections I've made here at Rose," he said. "There are a lot of people that are passionate here, and just getting to be around people that have similar passions to you is great, and I've really enjoyed that."