Reaching Beyond the Sky

Watch to see how one alumna wants to take Norwich to the moon.

Amrutaa Vibho ’26 did not arrive at Norwich University by taking the expected route. Growing up in New Delhi, India, Vibho was originally drawn toward music and percussion. She attended Trinity College London’s institution in India to pursue those interests before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her plans and pushed her toward a different future.

“COVID happened to everything I had planned,” says Vibho. “It made me realize the importance of the education that I needed.”

During a gap year, she immersed herself in cybersecurity, computer science, artificial intelligence, astronomy, and astrophysics. What began as curiosity rapidly evolved into an obsession with understanding space and the universe beyond Earth.

“When I was young, the Columbia shuttle disaster happened,” says Vibho. “That was my introduction to the idea that there’s something beyond the sky called space.”

That moment would eventually help shape the direction of her life. Now a graduate of Norwich as a member of the Corps of Cadets with Bachelor of Sciences in Mathematics and Physics, as well as a minor in chemistry, Vibho is preparing for another major step forward. In August, she will begin a Ph.D. program in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she will also serve as a graduate research assistant in the Planetary Surfaces and Spacecraft Laboratory.

Her work will focus on space systems and a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program project aimed at detecting sub-centimeter orbital debris using solitary waves, or solitons, as a detection medium to aid CubeSat design.

The path from music student to aspiring astronaut was unusual, as one might expect. Vibho says she once doubted whether she even possessed the academic background necessary to pursue physics and mathematics at a high level.

“I just never had the rigor or academic preparation to even think that I could pursue physics, or math, or whatever,” says Vibho, who was determined to push forward.

Before arriving at Norwich, Vibho earned opportunities to conduct research with the University of Chicago studying exoplanets and artificial intelligence. Her work eventually expanded into independent research connected to the Goddard Space Flight Center’s Fermi-LAT telescope.

“One thing led to another, and I applied for permission to use the Goddard Spaceflight Center’s Fermi-LAT telescope,” says Vibho. “It became a huge thing. It became a research paper and everything, and I happened to successfully qualify about 31 dark matter candidates at the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy.”

The process demanded relentless discipline.

“Going from absolutely not having any academic background to that level, it took a lot of preparation,” says Vibho. “That one year was maybe 16 hours of studying per day, every single day.”

Her academic ambitions eventually led her to Norwich — specifically the Corps of Cadets.

“When I looked at ROTC, I saw Norwich was the birthplace of ROTC, and I’m someone who believes in founding principles,” says Vibho. “That’s why I came to Norwich. Something just drew me in — the culture, the discipline, the formations, the customs and courtesies.”

Over four years on The Hill, Vibho became deeply involved in the Corps and served as executive officer of Hotel Company with the rank of cadet first lieutenant. Additionally, she was a member of the American Chemical Society, a Peace and War Center fellow, and served on both the Women Kicking Glass Committee and Junior Ring Committee. She says Norwich shaped her as much personally as it did academically.

“I have learned that the people that stand by you while you pursue your dreams are often more important and valuable than those dreams alone.”

The challenges she encountered while balancing academics, research, Corps responsibilities, and personal hardships reshaped her understanding of perseverance.

“I am a firm believer of perseverance in the face of adversity,” says Vibho. “I have encountered more personal challenges in my four years at Norwich than in my twenty years of life before it.”

She says her understanding of perseverance changed during her time in the Corps.

“My initial understanding was that persevering in the face of adversity is more gung-ho and the staircase montage from 'Rocky' — you show up at a 100% each time and destroy what challenges you,” says Vibho. “Since then and in my time here, I have learned that the true meaning of this Guiding Value is to show up especially when you are at that 0.5-1% and the odds are 99% against you.”

The lessons learned through Rookdom and the Corps remained present in her daily life long after her first year.

“I make my bed every morning even now, and sure did every day at Norwich even after Rookdom ended and I wasn’t required to according to upper-class privileges,” says Vibho. “It is what I chose to set as a mark for myself and even if it didn’t matter to my superiors or peers, it mattered most to me that I was true to myself.”

Vibho often describes the Corps using imagery tied to astronomy and astrophysics.

“This is a loaded question and one I cannot answer to its capacity,” says Vibho when reflecting on the Corps’ influence in her life. “However, I can say this: the Corps is like a Nebula, and all the cadets are like the stars that are born in it.”

She continues the comparison by describing how stars eventually branch into different futures while still retaining part of their origin.

“That origin is never forgotten — just as part of the Corps is forged in my spirit,” says Vibho. “I will always try.”

Even while immersed in the demands of cadet life, Vibho continued pursuing advanced research opportunities. Among her projects was work tied to the International Space Station focused on designing water treatment systems. She also participated in research connected to radionuclide poisoning detection in drinking water following bombings in Ukraine.

Her interests have consistently stretched across disciplines, from astrophysics to aerospace engineering to her first love in music. That willingness to pursue seemingly unrelated passions has become one of the defining characteristics of her Norwich experience.

“I’ve just never been somebody who wanted to stay in one lane,” says Vibho. “Whether it was research, music, the Corps, or academics, Norwich gave me the ability to pursue all of it at once.”

Her next challenge will bring her closer to the dream that has motivated her since childhood.

“I was raised in the Delhi neighborhood of NASA astronaut Dr. Kalpana Chawla’s family, the first and only woman of Indian origin to fly to space and to the International Space Station,” says Vibho. “She sadly perished onboard the STS-107, the Columbia Shuttle Disaster.”

Vibho says Chawla’s legacy shaped her understanding of human spaceflight and inspired her to pursue ambitious goals of her own.

“I would like my life and career to encourage millions of upcoming and aspiring women of STEM to dream big,” says Vibho. “Just as her journey did for me.”

“I am actively pursuing my dream and now goal of becoming a NASA Artemis and Moon-to-Mars astronaut,” says Vibho. “A sub-goal of that is to become the first Norwich Corps of Cadets alumna to plant the Norwich flag on the Lunar surface, also becoming the first woman of Indian origin to land on the moon.”

As graduation arrived, Vibho reflected less on accolades and more on the mindset she developed during her years at Norwich. “At least I went to bed knowing I was one day better than I was when I woke up.”

Looking back on the path that brought her from New Delhi to Northfield, from music to astrophysics, and from Rookdom to graduation, Vibho believes the most important lesson was learning to continue moving forward — even during the most difficult moments.

“Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough,” says Vibho. “Keep your head high and your feet steady.”