MSU aerospace student vying for Miss USA

Mississippi State University aerospace engineering student Paromita Mitra, who will represent the state in the Miss USA Pageant, wants to be the first competitor to explore the universe. Mitra moved with her family to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 1992. At MSU, she is a member of the school’s Space Cowboys Rocket Design Team and is also involved in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She recently worked as a researcher for a NASA-funded program at MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. The Miss USA Pageant will air Sunday on NBC-TV. Source: Jackson Clarion-Ledger, June 11, 2013.