Matt Nurick, a graduate of Sydney’s Moriah College, has been selected for Aviation Week Network’s “20 Twenties” program, recognising 20 of the most promising aerospace-bound STEM students from universities around the world.
The program honours students identified by an international judging panel for their academic achievement, research impact, leadership and broader contribution, highlighting those already making meaningful progress in the aviation and aerospace sectors.
Nurick left Moriah in 2020 and moved to the United States in 2021. He is now a senior at the University of Michigan, studying aerospace engineering with a minor in electrical engineering. He is due to graduate in May 2026 and plans to continue his studies with a Master of Science at the same institution.
He has been actively involved in key student and research groups, including the Michigan Aeronautical Science Association and the Michigan eXploration Laboratory. He has also held multiple leadership roles within the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics student chapter, including serving as president, and works as an instructional aid in systems engineering courses.
In 2025, Nurick received the Karen Anne Bagley Albrecht Scholarship, recognising both academic merit and contribution to the field.
The “20 Twenties” program is widely regarded as a marker of future leadership in aerospace, with alumni going on to influential roles across industry and research. Nurick’s selection places him among a small group of students globally identified as shaping the sector’s next generation.