Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: Emily Paine
Wrestling's Kade Davidheiser Published in Academic Journal
9/16/2026 4:15:00 PM | Wrestling
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell student-athletes have long married athletic success with academic achievements. Wrestler Kade Davidheiser '27 is the latest in that hereditary line. The Bison senior's essay, co-written with Bucknell professor Gregory O'Neill, "Estimating the Operational Cost of a Launch Delay," was published in The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. The article can be found here.
This academic honor arrives after a breakout junior season where Davidheiser, wrestling in the 125-pound weight class, finished eighth at the 122nd EIWA Championships. His contribution helped the Bison finish third - tying its best placement in program history. Â
Davidheiser recently took time to discuss his research, academics and wrestling career.
1. What prompted your interest in aerospace engineering?
"I have always been interested in planes and space. I wanted to be an aerospace engineer through high school and arrived at Bucknell with that dream. However, Bucknell does not offer aerospace, so I chose mechanical engineering, which is an umbrella engineering degree making it very easy to get a master's degree in aerospace if needed. I really want to change the world, and this is the field I chose."
2. Why did you decide to write a scholarly article?
"This is what academia does. If you want to contribute something new and exciting to the world, you "search and research" as Professor O'Neill says. We found some interesting new looks at aerospace business that haven't really been touched before, and we took a stab at it, showing what we see and how this could affect other things."
3. What led you to collaborate with Professor O'Neill?
"I asked to work with him two years ago for the summer because he is really the only professor who has a background in aerospace engineering. I was interested in some of his projects, and we hit it off. I've done a lot of Solidworks models for him that we have used in other papers we have prepared and sent out as well. We hit it off and work well together. He is a big reason my Bucknell experience is the way it is."
4. What was the hardest part of writing the paper?
"The feedback and editing but also the literature review. It's hard to find a niche topic that no one has studied, so finding any paper out there that may have your topic may be discouraging, but explaining why yours is different is hard to do sometimes. Sometimes the results you get are not what you want, and you have to accept that sometimes and write about what you got because, hopefully, you will get what you want in the end."
5. Why was AIAA selected?
"It is the top Aerospace journal in the United States. Publication in its annals is an honor."
6. How has Bucknell's educational model challenged you?
"I've failed a lot of tests here, and it's hard. It makes learning hard because you need to understand what is actually being taught and not memorize the answers. The technical electives are my favorite. They teach you what your true calling is and what you want to do after Bucknell. These classes have deepened my passion for certain fields of study."
7. How do you balance rigorous academics and Division I wrestling?
"It is super hard and it's not fun at times. My week consists of classes, six hours of research, and 8-20 hours of wrestling related activities. I don't have much free time some weeks and it is hard because college is supposed to be fun. However, I'm grinding now and I know it will pay dividends in my future because I know I can handle anything. It also makes me do everything right away so I can get free time, at least on Sunday."
8. What are your career goals after Bucknell?
"I am getting two bachelor degrees, one in Biology and the other in Mechanical Engineering. I am currently pursuing my engineering degree right away after school then eventually, I want to transition into being a nutritionist using my biology degree. I find both fields extremely exciting and challenging in different respects. I hope to make an impact in both fields of my career."
Davidheiser and Bucknell wrestling begin the 2026-27 season dueling Iowa State and participating in the Clarion Open. For Davidheiser, he will continue to pin opponents and aerospace research.Â
This academic honor arrives after a breakout junior season where Davidheiser, wrestling in the 125-pound weight class, finished eighth at the 122nd EIWA Championships. His contribution helped the Bison finish third - tying its best placement in program history. Â
Davidheiser recently took time to discuss his research, academics and wrestling career.
1. What prompted your interest in aerospace engineering?
"I have always been interested in planes and space. I wanted to be an aerospace engineer through high school and arrived at Bucknell with that dream. However, Bucknell does not offer aerospace, so I chose mechanical engineering, which is an umbrella engineering degree making it very easy to get a master's degree in aerospace if needed. I really want to change the world, and this is the field I chose."
2. Why did you decide to write a scholarly article?
"This is what academia does. If you want to contribute something new and exciting to the world, you "search and research" as Professor O'Neill says. We found some interesting new looks at aerospace business that haven't really been touched before, and we took a stab at it, showing what we see and how this could affect other things."
3. What led you to collaborate with Professor O'Neill?
"I asked to work with him two years ago for the summer because he is really the only professor who has a background in aerospace engineering. I was interested in some of his projects, and we hit it off. I've done a lot of Solidworks models for him that we have used in other papers we have prepared and sent out as well. We hit it off and work well together. He is a big reason my Bucknell experience is the way it is."
4. What was the hardest part of writing the paper?
"The feedback and editing but also the literature review. It's hard to find a niche topic that no one has studied, so finding any paper out there that may have your topic may be discouraging, but explaining why yours is different is hard to do sometimes. Sometimes the results you get are not what you want, and you have to accept that sometimes and write about what you got because, hopefully, you will get what you want in the end."
5. Why was AIAA selected?
"It is the top Aerospace journal in the United States. Publication in its annals is an honor."
6. How has Bucknell's educational model challenged you?
"I've failed a lot of tests here, and it's hard. It makes learning hard because you need to understand what is actually being taught and not memorize the answers. The technical electives are my favorite. They teach you what your true calling is and what you want to do after Bucknell. These classes have deepened my passion for certain fields of study."
7. How do you balance rigorous academics and Division I wrestling?
"It is super hard and it's not fun at times. My week consists of classes, six hours of research, and 8-20 hours of wrestling related activities. I don't have much free time some weeks and it is hard because college is supposed to be fun. However, I'm grinding now and I know it will pay dividends in my future because I know I can handle anything. It also makes me do everything right away so I can get free time, at least on Sunday."
8. What are your career goals after Bucknell?
"I am getting two bachelor degrees, one in Biology and the other in Mechanical Engineering. I am currently pursuing my engineering degree right away after school then eventually, I want to transition into being a nutritionist using my biology degree. I find both fields extremely exciting and challenging in different respects. I hope to make an impact in both fields of my career."
Davidheiser and Bucknell wrestling begin the 2026-27 season dueling Iowa State and participating in the Clarion Open. For Davidheiser, he will continue to pin opponents and aerospace research.Â
Players Mentioned
125
/ WrestlingTuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 15