From Eastern Kentucky to edge of space: UK grad is reaching for the stars

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2025) — When Asa O’Neal arrived at the University of Kentucky in 2021, he didn’t have a clear plan — but he knew he was in the right place to figure it out.

“My mother and grandmother went here, so UK felt a little like home,” the West Liberty, Kentucky native said. “But at the end of the day, it was about what [UK] had to offer. It was a huge university where I could do anything I wanted.”

Originally a chemical engineering major, O’Neal, also a member of the UK Lewis Honors College, found his direction through real-world experience. After his first year at UK, he interned at Toyota in the paint department. During that summer, he attended the Dayton Air Show and visited the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force — and something clicked.

“That really sparked something in me,” O’Neal said. “It reignited a fascination with spaceflight that I’d had since I was a kid.”

He soon shifted his focus to mechanical engineering and physics and joined NASA-sponsored research projects, conducting aerospace research alongside faculty mentors, as well as internships at the NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. O’Neal says UK prepared him well for these experiences.

“I was able to hold my own around a group of remarkable people from the world’s top universities,” he said.

His passion also led him to one of the most prestigious honors a STEM student can receive: the Astronaut Scholarship, awarded to just a few dozen students nationwide each year. The award has provided not just funding, but a transformative community.

“I’ve had the chance to network with astronauts, mission controllers, engineers — people who are doing the kind of work I want to do,” he said. “I even have an astronaut mentor. That’s been incredibly helpful in figuring out what I want to do and how to get there.”

O’Neal is also a recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship award. 

As a Chellgren Fellow at UK, O’Neal has conducted research in UK’s Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Lab and as part of UK’s Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System. He is also a member of the Solar Car Team and credits Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering professors Sean Bailey, Ph.D., Suzanne Smith, Ph.D., and Alexandre Martin, Ph.D., for serving as mentors during his time on campus.

As he prepares to graduate on Saturday, O’Neal reflects on how much his UK experience has shaped him — personally and professionally.

“Without my experience at UK, I wouldn’t be doing what I am now — and I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now,” he said. “This degree is validation. It proves I can go into the research areas I’m passionate about and do something impactful.”

O’Neal plans to earn a Ph.D. at University of Colorado Boulder, researching spacecraft propulsion technologies and pursuing a career in research.