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USC Viterbi Staff | October 29, 2025 Jeremy Alexander, Doug Peacock Scholar, finds innovation in overlooked spaces – from wastewater microbes to aerospace materials – to protect life on Earth and beyond. The smallest things often matter most. In rice paddies near Sacramento, Jeremy Alexander waded knee-deep into murky water, collecting soil samples that most people would dismiss as ordinary mud. But Alexander saw something else entirely: a hidden world of microorganisms that could revolutionize how we clean water and protect human health. “I innovate in the spaces most overlook,” explains Alexander, a USC Viterbi School of Engineering junior majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in marine biology. “These places hold hidden complexities, and discovery in these spaces can change how we live.” Alexander’s work — spanning everything from microscopic bacteria to rocket fuel chemistry — exemplifies the kind of boundary-pushing research that the Doug Peacock Scholarship was designed to support. The scholarship, established by TransDigm Group Inc. in 2021, provides financial support to underrepresented students in STEM fields and has enabled more than 105 USC Viterbi students to pursue ambitious research projects. TransDigm, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components. For Alexander, the scholarship opened doors that might otherwise have remained closed. It connected him to TransDigm’s network, leading to a summer internship at TA Aerospace, a TransDigm operating unit, where he discovered that “invisible chemistry decides visible safety.” At TA Aerospace, Alexander tested elastomer seals — flexible, rubber-like materials that prevent fuel leaks in aircraft and spacecraft engines — analyzing how different types of fuel affected their performance. He exposed these specialized rubber seals to both sustainable aviation fuel and military-grade JP8 fuel, then tested whether they could still stretch without breaking, resist tearing and hold up under extreme temperatures and pressures. Using advanced chemical analysis techniques, he identified specific compounds in the fuel mixtures while also researching PFAS — the so-called “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the environment and pose growing health risks. “The most rewarding aspect,” Alexander reflected, “was knowing my work fed into a chain of protection that ultimately keeps people alive in the air, from passengers to astronauts.” Said Michele Starrs, TA Aerospace president: “By offering internships and hands-on experiences, we don’t just view USC students as future hires — we see them as collaborators in solving real engineering challenges. Connecting early helps students understand how different parts of the business operate, and it enables us to nurture talent that is already familiar with our culture, values and technical demands. Jeremy brought specific enthusiasm to the idea of environmental sustainability and helped kick off research into how our industry can begin to phase out PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals.’” That connection between invisible processes and human survival threads through all of Alexander’s research. In Professor Adam Smith’s environmental engineering lab at USC, he cultivates specialized microbes for nutrient removal in wastewater treatment. Working alongside Ph.D. student Raven Althouse, Alexander has analyzed more than 250 ion chromatography samples and maintained bioreactors at precise conditions to understand how microorganisms can transform nitrogen cycles. Last May, his poster on membrane biofilm reactors earned second place in a research symposium for the Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. When asked to explain his research as a bedtime story, Alexander offers this simple version: “There are tiny bugs in the water, too small to see but strong enough to eat pollution.

With new gift, leading aerospace manufacturer expands support of Drexel students in business and engineering “I always dreamed of attending college in Philadelphia, specifically at Drexel, and the Doug Peacock Scholarship made it happen for me,” says Elin Verghese, a native of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania who is in her second year studying civil engineering. By providing generous scholarships over the past five years, TransDigm Group—a global aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio—has supported Elin and more than 40 other students enrolled at Drexel’s College of Engineering and Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. Doug Peacock Scholarships fund expenses such as tuition, housing, food, books, supplies, and other needs that, if not fulfilled, may adversely impact the students’ ability to complete their undergraduate degrees. The financial support is renewable from year to year, and students who maintain eligibility requirements can continue to receive funding throughout their time as undergraduates. With a recent pledge of $1.25 million, TransDigm is doing even more to help Drexel students, by renewing its commitment to providing additional scholarships over the next five years as well as making significant new investments to grow and sustain the BRIDGE program at LeBow and the DELTA program in engineering. BRIDGE is a LeBow program and learning community created in 2012 to support first generation, low income, and/or students who have a demonstrated interest in building relationships in distinct group experiences—including site visits to companies throughout Philadelphia and beyond, discussion and networking events with business and community leaders, attendance at professional development conferences, community service and spring break immersion trips—as they develop into the business leaders of the future. Since its creation at LeBow, BRIDGE has expanded to other Drexel schools and colleges. At the College of Engineering, DELTA (Drexel Engineering Leadership Transformation Academy) Summer BRIDGE is a two-week intensive academic program held each year that offers approximately 30 incoming students in STEM fields the opportunity to develop the skills in math, science, engineering and leadership that are needed for success at Drexel and beyond. TransDigm and Drexel: A Deep Partnership The Doug Peacock Scholarships are named in honor of the late founding chief executive officer and chairman of the board of TransDigm. TransDigm is a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components. “Drexel and TransDigm remain aligned in our commitment to developing and promoting a talented and equitable future workforce,” stated Kevin Stein, TransDigm’s president and chief executive officer. “With an increasingly global economy, broad-based workforces lead to better innovation, decisions and outcomes for everyone. Assisting students who might not otherwise have the resources to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities is an important initiative for TransDigm. We are honored to contribute through the Doug Peacock Scholarship Program and other commitments.” A lifelong entrepreneur who held a doctorate in physical chemistry, Peacock pursued a long career at engineering and manufacturing companies including Westinghouse. In 1993, he co-founded TransDigm with Drexel mechanical engineering alumnus W. Nicholas (Nick) Howley ’75. A University trustee and 1979 Harvard Business School graduate, Nick Howley was CEO and executive chairman of TransDigm for over 20 years, and has been chairman of TransDigm’s board of directors since 2021. The Howley family and The Howley Foundation are committed supporters of student scholarships and other programs at college preparatory schools, colleges and universities—including Drexel—with emphasis on educational institutions in Cleveland and Philadelphia. Notably, the Howley College Scholars Program provides an affordable pathway for student