Maxfield Arnson is a graduate student research assistant in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research interests include electrified aircraft design and coupled propulsive-thermal architecture optimization. His work for the IDEAS Lab has been on the EAP and AACES Projects, where he develops models for the FAST and FINCH aircraft modeling codes.

After graduation, Maxfield intends to apply to the astronaut program at NASA! Outside of research, he studies the Russian language, amateur radio operations, and he is continually advancing his SCUBA diving skills. Follow his aspiring astronaut journey on Instagram!

Maxfield is an alumnus of the M-Fly Aero Design team, and the former president of the Luther Buchele Student Cooperative, a student housing group focused on providing affordable housing for students. Additionally, he often volunteers for Project Foxwood, a summer camp organization which he participated in as a child.