Hope Engineering Alum Lands Dream Job

HOLLAND – Hope College Alum Sam Klooster, who graduated in 2002 with a major in engineering, was recently hired at the legendary Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in their Advanced Development Projects unit, better known as the “Skunk Works”. The Skunk Works was formed during World War II and has been supplying the United States military with cutting edge flight technology ever since. It is responsible for such planes as the P-38, the P-80 (the United States’ first operational jet fighter), the U-2 spyplane and the F-35.

While at Hope College, Klooster won the VanPutten Engineering Design Award for excellence in the improvement of the U222 outside car mirror vibration while lowering the cost. He also served as Engineering Club President. After graduating from Hope, Klooster went on to Georgia Tech to obtain his masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Controls. His thesis was titled “Vibration Suppression Controller for a Hyper-Active Seat”.

Klooster attributes some of his success to the education and experience he gained at Hope: “Hope College really prepared me well for graduate school and this current job. It got me exactly where I wanted to be.”

For more information on Skunk Works, click here.