ASEF Fellow Domen Škerlep on a Research Visit at Princeton University in USA

Domen Škerlep, a graduate in aerospace engineering from TU Delft, worked under the mentorship of Dr. Andrej Košmrlj during a 10-week research visit at Princeton University in the United States. His research focused on modeling vibrations of specially reinforced thin plates using the finite element method in the FEniCS software environment. As part of the research, the team also experimentally measured the response of plates with different reinforcement layouts to various vibrational impulses using a high-speed camera. During his stay, Domen also attended numerous seminars and lectures by visiting professors from universities across the United States and around the world.

While at Princeton, Domen was also a member of the university’s varsity men’s volleyball team, training daily as a player. During matches, he served as an assistant coach and contributed to the team winning the regular season championship and achieving second place at the EIVA conference final tournament.

In his free time, Domen participated in many social events at the university, such as Princeton Reunions, Spring Ball, and the Dean’s High Table. He also traveled to Washington, D.C., and visited New York several times, where he connected with many Slovenians through the Church of St. Cyril. Together, they celebrated Easter, played beach volleyball in Manhattan, and toured the United Nations headquarters as guests of Slovenian representative Klemen Žumer.

After completing his research visit, Domen traveled throughout the United States, visiting many Slovenians and members of the ASEF community living there. He first traveled to Utah and Nevada, where he explored national parks such as Zion, Arches, and the Grand Canyon. He then visited the Starc family in San Francisco, whom he met through ASEF, as their daughter, Antonia Starc is a 2023 ASEF Visit Slovenia fellow. Afterwards, he traveled to Cleveland, where he reunited with three ASEF 2024 fellows, Maja Košir, Sophia Jarc, and Megan Hren, whom he had met the previous year during an ASEF weekend excursion in Slovenia. Together, they participated in a volleyball tournament at Slovenska Pristava, where Domen also established many new connections within the Slovenian community in Cleveland. Finally, he traveled to Chicago, where he met additional Slovenian families through the Slovenian Catholic Mission and introduced them to the ASEF community, helping to connect them with it as well.

The research visit had a very positive impact on Domen’s personal and professional development. He is deeply grateful to ASEF for this opportunity, which greatly enriched his academic experience, connected him with experts in his field, and provided valuable insight into the American academic system.

Besides the professional experience, he especially values the personal relationships that formed, both in the United States and in Slovenia. After returning from his research, he actively engaged in organizing daily trips to show Slovenia to the visiting fellows of this year’s generation. For him, ASEF experience created friendships that will extend well beyond the program. He would like to especially thank his mentor, Dr. Andrej Košmrlj, for his invaluable support and mentorship, as well as the Starc and Košir families for their hospitality during his travels.

Photo: Personal archive