April 30, 2026 By Maddi Busby, College of Engineering (original posting of this article)
Dr. Astrid Layton has seen firsthand how quickly research can become isolating for students — hours spent troubleshooting, refining and questioning what isn’t working. Through the Donna Walker Faculty Fellowship, she is improving that experience by giving students the opportunity to step outside the lab and share their work with the broader research community.
In the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, Layton uses the fellowship to support both undergraduate and graduate students in her Bio-Inspired Systems Lab, funding travel to conferences to present their research, build networks and gain new perspectives. The flexible funding allows her to prioritize opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
“I think it’s really important for students to practice talking about their research within the broader community,” Layton said. “They can get stuck focusing on what isn’t working. Conferences give them a chance to focus on what they’ve accomplished and where their work can go next.”
For Pepito Thelly, a doctoral student in Layton’s lab, that opportunity became a reality when he traveled to Paris to attend the Design Theory Special Interest Group, where he presented his research on an international stage.
“Presenting our work at an international level is something I never imagined I’d be able to do during my Ph.D.,” Thelly said. “I am incredibly grateful for both the opportunity and the support that made it possible.”
The conference experience extended beyond presenting research. For Thelly, one of the most valuable takeaways was the exposure to new ways of thinking.
“The most impactful part was hearing perspectives from people outside my immediate bubble,” he said. “When we get so focused on our work, it’s easy to lose sight of alternative viewpoints. That friction is where a lot of creativity comes from.”
Layton emphasized that these moments are exactly why she prioritizes sending students to conferences. In addition to strengthening communication skills, the experience often reshapes how students view their work and their potential.
“It gives them this confidence,” she said. “They come back with new ideas, new energy and a better sense of how their research connects to a larger community.”
For Thelly, the experience also prompted a shift in how he thinks about his future.
“It gave me more perspective,” he said. “We all have a lot of potential, but we often limit ourselves based on what we think is realistic. Stepping outside the day-to-day helped me reset that mindset and reevaluate my goals.”
The fellowship’s impact extends beyond individual experiences. Because the funding is not tied to a specific grant, Layton can support early-stage projects, fund student researchers and create opportunities for undergraduates who might not otherwise have access to this level of engagement.
That flexibility is increasingly important as travel costs and funding limitations continue to rise. Without it, Layton said, many of these experiences would not happen.
“There’s no replacement for being in those environments,” she said. “That’s where collaborations start, where students meet people they might work with in the future, and where new ideas take shape.”
For students like Thelly, those opportunities offer more than just academic growth; they provide a broader view of what is possible.
“It made me appreciate how much exciting work is being done,” he said. “A lot of ideas that once felt abstract are now becoming possible and seeing that firsthand was really motivating.”
Through the Donna Walker Faculty Fellowship, Layton is not only supporting student research — she is helping shape more confident, connected and forward-thinking engineers, reinforcing Texas A&M Engineering’s commitment to hands-on learning and real-world impact.
BiSSL: Bio-inspired Systems Lab 