Sydney DeLaine Paulsen

From representing Team USA on the ice in Italy to charting flight paths in the skies above Arizona, Sydney DeLaine Paulsen is all about precision, teamwork and making an impact.

As a student in aeronautical management technology at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, Paulsen has balanced an elite hockey career with her passion for aviation and unmanned aerial systems.

“Studying engineering and playing hockey in the desert was a combination that was too good to pass up,” Paulsen says.

Paulsen started her academic career at the University of St. Thomas in her native Minnesota. While at St. Thomas, Paulsen was studying electrical and mechanical engineering, but it wasn’t until she transferred to ASU that everything clicked for her. 

“I knew I had found the right discipline for me after my first unmanned aerial systems class,” Paulsen says. “I felt eager to learn and was interested in the topics being taught. Unmanned aerial vehicles play a role in such a variety of industries, be it agriculture, real estate, construction, public safety and more. UAVs continue to revolutionize the way we work in countless sectors.”

The W. Dillard “Pic” Walker Scholarship recipient had an internship after her junior year, where she learned how a team of professionals can work together to complete complex tasks.

“I played a crucial role in ensuring that the data captured through UAV operations were accurately translated into meaningful information that could be used in a wide range of applications,” Paulsen says. “I processed and analyzed UAV-captured data, including images and point clouds, to create accurate geospatial products, learning to create planimetric mapping in AutoCAD software.”

Outside the classroom and on the ice, Paulsen is vice president and a captain of ASU Women’s Hockey, part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, or ACHA. She earned ACHA Academic All-American honors both seasons she was eligible. Paulsen played for Team USA at the FISU Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy, in January 2025.

After graduation, Paulsen plans to return to Minnesota for the summer before finding a job in the aeronautical management technology field.

“Engineering is fun because it brings people together from a wide range of backgrounds, each contributing unique ideas and perspectives to solve problems,” Paulsen says. “Working with a team allows you to tackle challenges from different angles, leading to more creative and innovative solutions. The teamwork aspect makes engineering not just about hard skills but also about learning, growing and making an impact together.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2025 class here.