Midshipman Wins Knight-Hennessy Award

  POSTED ON: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 10:30 AM by mediarelations@usna.edu

Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Brody Todd, of Youngstown, Ohio, is a winner of the Knight-Hennessy Award at Stanford for this year. Todd is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford School of Engineering.

He is earning his bachelor’s degree in honors robotics and control engineering from the United States Naval Academy, where he conducted research on robotic additive manufacturing (AM) as a Trident Scholar. Brody aims to drive innovation in robotics and AM, while strengthening public-private partnerships to advance the military’s autonomous capabilities.

At Stanford, he hopes to explore how emerging technologies can drive sustainable economic opportunities in underserved communities through policy and governance.

During his time in Annapolis, Brody conducted unmanned aerial vehicle research during an internship at MIT-Lincoln Laboratory, and served in leadership roles as 7th Company commander, Plebe Summer Battalion commander, and vice president of the Navy club basketball team, affording him the opportunity to lead over 800 midshipmen. Following his graduate program, Brody will serve as an aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps.

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