KINGSVILLE (March 18, 2026) – John-Ryan C. Lawrence is a leader out of the classroom, but soon he will take those hard-earned leadership skills to the classroom as he becomes the first student to pursue Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s (TAMUK) new master’s degree in space and aeronautical engineering. Lawrence is an electrical engineering major from Corpus Christi and a graduate of Tuloso-Midway High School.
Lawrence first made the news at TAMUK in early 2024 when he was chosen to represent his university at the Student Ambassador Program at the American Physical Society (APS) Annual Leadership Meeting. He was a junior electrical engineering major at the time. He was one of a group of 80 top physics and engineering students from over 20 countries.
In the fall of 2025 with commencement in sight, Lawrence was honored to write the welcome letter for Radiations, the official publication of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics and astronomy honor society. “Scientific journals have a very wide readership, essentially taking a cross section of the field from the undergraduate level to senior personnel in industry and academia,” Lawrence said. “Having a student write the opening letter matters since it gives the entire field a quick snapshot of the issues and factors affecting undergrads and thus the future and needs of the field.
“My case in particular, having a very unconventional career path, I hope that my example can serve as a role model for students to feel confident in pursing outside the box and unconventional career paths, as it helps train a very unique and useful perspective,” he added.
Lawrence points to his professional background in criminal justice as part of what gives him an unconventional career path. “I have worked at the University Police Department (UPD) for the past three years, served as president of the Criminal Justice Student Organization and conducted research under Drs. Jingbo and Sajid Liu in the chemistry department. I feel obligated to perform some sort of public service and I chose law enforcement,” he said.
Lawrence is now a senior due to receive his bachelor’s degree in December 2026. Officially, he starts work on his master’s degree in space and aeronautical engineering during the spring 2027 semester, but he plans to pursue concurrent enrollment for the fall 2026 semester.
And why space and aeronautical engineering? “I had significant exposure to the aerospace field growing up. My NJROTC instructor, my biggest mentor from high school, was a former naval aviator and I’ve spent eight years as a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary component of the United States Air Force.
“Through those avenues, I developed an interest in aviation and space. I was exposed to stories and history of experimental aircraft like the X-29, YF-23 and Lockheed Have Blue. These sparked my interest in engineering work in general since the systems are complex, interconnected and require multidisciplinary experiences and backgrounds,” he said.
Lawrence said his specific interest is in materials science application in nuclear thermal propulsion. “I intend to concentrate my thesis work in aerothermochemistry and plasma physics/surface chemistry interactions with ultra-high-temperature ceramics,” he said. “This aligns with the aerospace programs early momentum in hypersonic flight research and also translates very well to my nuclear propulsion interest.”
What will it be like for Lawrence to enter the new program in its early stages? “It presents a very unique opportunity for me since being the first student in any program is already an honor. It also presents some ambiguity as there is no established pipeline, culture or research area for students.”
“As the first student, everything I do sets the tone for the students who come after me. I hope to set a standard of excellence that my successors will improve upon and set the department up for success long after I have graduated,” he added.
After competing his master’s degree in the inaugural class of space and aeronautical engineering, Lawrence hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in nuclear engineering with a concentration of materials applications in nuclear propulsion systems for spacecraft.
“Long term, I want to pursue a national laboratory research appointment or an industry research position in the aerospace or defense sectors. I love doing engineering and project work and I hope that at some point I will be able to take on a leadership role in industry, government or a national lab,” he said.
Lawrence has held multiple leadership roles both at TAMUK and nationally. “I have served as senator in the Student Government Association, president of the Engineering Student Council, president of the Aerospace Engineering Club, president of the Criminal Justice Club, president of the American Nuclear Society, president of the American Chemical Society, national councilor for the Society of Physics Students, and president of the U.S. National Committee of the International Association of Physics Students.
“Students represent the future leaders of any field, be it technical, artistic, administrative, or some other thing. More importantly, today’s students are tomorrow’s teachers, managers, leaders, trainers, and mentors,” he said. “I think everyone wants to have a positive impact on their field, by being the best that they can be. Good leadership and mentoring massively impacts the leader’s footprint and impact. Leaders who develop their followers into leaders keep organizations of all types healthy and stable.”
“I have always been a very service-oriented person. I believe that I have an obligation to my community, country, and field. At TAMUK, I've accumulated over 6,000 hours of volunteer service across a variety of student and community organizations. But I'm just one man. I can only do so much by myself. Mentoring newer students, developing their skills, confidence, leadership, of even a small group of people can have a lasting impact on society and the community far beyond anything I could ever hope to accomplish by myself,” he said.
“I aim to be a lifelong learner and the running theme is that at all points in my career, whether it be today or 50 years from now, I will always be learning something new and doing my best to develop those who work with and under me,” Lawrence concluded.
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