AIAA Foundation Making an Impact: International Student Conference

Top row, L to R: JD McFarlan (right) with Michael Lagana, AIAA. Undergraduate Category winners. Master's Category winner. Bottom row, L to R: Team Category winners, represented by C Watson. Rudy Al Ahmar (right), Auburn University, winner of the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement in Aeronautics. with AIAA Foundation Chair Basil Hassan (center) and Faculty Advisor Joseph Majdalani (left). Joseph Day (right), University of Colorado Colorado Springs, winner of the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement in Astronautics, with AIAA Foundation Chair Basil Hassan (center) and Faculty Advisor Matt Quinlan (left). Credit: AIAA

The AIAA International Student Conference took place on 23 January in conjunction with AIAA SciTech Forum. Students who won first place at one of the 2022 AIAA Regional Student Conferences presented their papers at this professional technical conference, which offers students a chance to showcase their original research at an event where they can also network with potential employers and colleagues. The winners were announced at an awards breakfast on 24 January, where JD McFarlan, Vice President and Chief Engineer, ADP, Lockheed Martin, provided the keynote address to the student attendees.

Papers were judged by volunteer professional members with years of experience in the industry. The following papers were declared winners and awards were presented by AIAA Foundation Chair Basil Hassan.

Undergraduate Category
“Experimental Verification of the USAFA 1-DOF Dynamic Stability Characterization Capability and Future 3-DOF Cross Coupling Enhancements” by Molly Ellinger, Jacob Szymanski, and Casey P. Flagley, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, CO)

Master’s Category
“Optimization of Heat Release within a Dual-Mode Ramjet Using Ignition Delay Energy Source Terms” by Francis A. Centlivre, Wright State University (Dayton, OH)

Team Category
“Design of Large-Scale 3D Printed Components for UAV Cargo Transport” (presented to Cody Watson) by Cody Watson, Caroline Dixon, Nathan Kuczun, and Jade Morton, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

AIAA thanks Lockheed Martin for its generous support of the International Student Conference Program.

Dates for the 2023 Regional Student Conferences can be found at AIAA.org/studentconferences. For more information about the student conferences, contact Lindsay Mitchell at lindsaym@aiaa.org, or 703.264.7502.

AIAA Foundation Diversity Scholars at AIAA SciTech Forum

Diversity Scholars at AIAA SciTech Forum. Credit: AIAA

Thirteen AIAA Diversity Scholars attended AIAA SciTech Forum, 23-27 January 2022. The AIAA Diversity Scholarship was created to provide networking and engagement opportunities at forums to students from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the industry. These students receive round-trip airfare, a complimentary hotel stay, forum registration, and additional targeted programming that may help them succeed in the aerospace industry. They also receive a complimentary student membership.

This program is a collaboration of the AIAA Foundation and Boeing. Scholars attended the plenary, Forum 360 sessions, and the student awards breakfast, as well as the Rising Leaders in Aerospace events and other special sessions targeted specifically for the scholars.

Diversity scholarships will be offered at the upcoming AIAA AVIATION Forum and 2023 ASCEND event. AIAA welcomes applications from students in all disciplines with an interest in aerospace, including but not limited to STEM fields, communications, law, industrial design, journalism, and political science. Please visit aiaa.org/diversityscholars for more information.

AIAA Foundation Day of Giving

The results are in and together we raised $66,400! Thank you to everyone who participated in the first-ever AIAA Foundation Day of Giving. This incredible campaign honored the past on the anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight while looking toward the future. Our members are enabling programs through the AIAA Foundation that will open doors for bright young minds as we prepare them to shape the future of aerospace. If you haven’t had the opportunity to contribute, donate to the AIAA Foundation today!  aiaa.org/foundation

Publications News Mark Drela Appointed Editor-in-Chief of AIAA’s Journal of Aircraft

Mark Drela. Credit: Drela

AIAA has selected Mark Drela, Terry J. Kohler Professor of Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as its new Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Aircraft (JA). He succeeds Eli Livne, the Boeing Endowed Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington, who has served as the fifth Editor-in-Chief for JA since 2011. Drela, the sixth editor-in-chief for JA, will begin this new role in January 2023.

The AIAA Publications Committee oversees the search and selection effort for new editors-in-chief. This year’s search committee was led by Jacqueline A. O’Connor, Pennsylvania State University, Publications Committee member. Drela was chosen from among a group of highly qualified candidates.

“The fields of aircraft engineering and aeronautics in general are vital to the global transportation system, to national defense, and to the international economy, and their importance is only growing. The Journal of Aircraft is a valuable venue for advancing engineering knowledge, tools, and methods that are critical to developing new aeronautical concepts, vehicles, and systems to further the field. It is an honor to have been selected as its new Editor-in-Chief.” said Drela.

Drela, an AIAA Fellow and NAE member, holds a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Computational Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics with a Minor in Applied Mathematics and Structures from MIT. Some of his recent awards and honors include the 2022 ASME IGTI Turbomachinery Committee Best Paper Award, the 2018 AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award, and the 2017 AIAA Theoretical Fluids Best Paper. Drela’s research interests consist of aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, design methodology, computation-based design, and low-order modeling of aeromechanical systems.

The Journal of Aircraft is devoted to the advancement of the applied science and technology of airborne flight through the dissemination of original archival papers describing significant advances in aircraft, the operation of aircraft, and applications of aircraft technology to other fields.

Publications News Craig R. Wanke Appointed Editor-in-Chief of AIAA’s Journal of Air Transportation

Craig Wanke. Credit: Wanke

AIAA has selected Craig R. Wanke, Chief Engineer for MITRE’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD), and an AIAA Associate Fellow, as its new editor-in-chief for the Journal of Air Transportation (JAT). He succeeds Karl Bilimoria, an aerospace engineer at NASA Ames Research Center, who has served as the first editor-in-chief for JAT since 2016. The journal was originally published as the Air Traffic Control Quarterly by the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) between January 1993 and December 2015. Wanke will begin this new role as JAT’s second editor-in-chief in January 2023.

The AIAA Publications Committee oversees the search and selection effort for new editors-in-chief. This year’s search committee was led by Jacqueline A. O’Connor, Pennsylvania State University, Publications Committee member. Wanke was chosen from among a group of highly qualified candidates.

“Air Traffic Management (ATM) is in a period of rapid evolution, driven by innovations in new vehicles and new missions, advances in artificial intelligence, and the challenge of sustainability in a changing climate. JAT is a critical source for peer-reviewed, leading-edge ATM innovation, and it is a great honor to have been chosen as the editor in this exciting time,” said Wanke.

Wanke holds a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Some of his accomplishments include leading the development, field testing, and technology transfer of several capabilities now deployed as part of the FAA’s operational traffic flow management system (TFMS). Wanke has served as Principal Investigator for many years on MITRE IR&D projects, and in addition to serving as the Chief Engineer of CAASD, he also currently leads the MITRE IR&D program in aviation and surface transportation. He was an Associate Editor of JAT from 2016 to 2022, and he also has authored or co-authored more than 100 journal and conference papers on air traffic management and various aeronautical engineering topics.

JAT is devoted to the dissemination of original archival papers describing new developments in air traffic management and aviation operations of all flight vehicles, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and space vehicles, operating in the global airspace system.

Section News Dayton-Cincinnati Section Has Opportunity to Tour HALO Wind Tunnel

Section members at the Honda Labs Ohio-Wind Tunnel. Credit: AIAA Dayton-Cincinnati Section

In December members from the AIAA Dayton Cincinnati Section were hosted at Honda Labs Ohio-Wind Tunnel (HALO_WT) by Mike Unger, Facility Lead, and Tom Ramsay, Technical Lead. The members toured the new full-scale wind tunnel and learned about the technical and practical usage aspects of this new facility that supports Honda’s automotive aerodynamic, aeroacoustics, and racing development.

AIAA Committees SAT OC – New Collaborations

Solteria Ross. Credit: Nick Mintz

By: Amir S. Gohardani, SAT OC Chair

In a recent committee meeting of the AIAA Society and Aerospace Technology Outreach Committee (SAT OC), the topic of collaboration stood out as a recurring theme. With so many cross-disciplinary subjects impacting the aerospace sector, understanding the confluence of these topics is of the essence. Collaboration also facilitates a profound understanding of identifying discord or synergy. Therefore, initiating collaboration with other outreach committees, technical committees, and working groups across AIAA is a top-line item in SAT OC’s priority list. Based on SAT OC’s membership in 2023, there are many exciting opportunities for exploring multidisciplinary topics within the committee.

SAT OC promotes the transfer of aerospace technology and techniques to help solve critical problems in society, and improve the general quality of life. The committee focuses on how aerospace technology and techniques help solve critical societal challenges and improve the quality of life, and seeks to understand the interactions between the aerospace enterprise and broader social and cultural trends. The core strength of the committee stems from bringing together distinguished AIAA members whose professions, studies, and interests include enhancing the interaction between the aerospace industry and society.

As part of SAT OC’s efforts, an initiative is underway to collaborate with the American Astronautical Society’s Space Talk and Space Times by seeking to bring attention to salient issues in space policy, future space exploration, and notes of interest to both the professional and the general community of space flight advocates.

Diversity Corner

Name: Solteria Ross

Notable Contributions: Ross is a Systems Engineer within Lockheed Martin’s Deep Space Exploration Advanced Programs. She holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with minors in English and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from North Carolina State University, Cum Laude.

Potential Societal Impact of Contributions: A first-generation college student, a Brooke Owens Fellowship winner, and one of our 2022 AIAA SciTech Forum Diversity Scholars, Ross is a leader and a champion of diversity in STEM. While at NC State, she mentored first-year engineering students and performed K-12 STEM outreach. She co-led a Diversity Team initiative within the College of Engineering to help recruit and retain engineering ambassadors from underrepresented backgrounds with a mission to represent all forms of diversity. She has previously interned at Collins Aerospace, GE Aviation, and Redwire Space.

Ross is passionate about the intersection of aerospace and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research has explored the gender studies framework as a more egalitarian approach to human activity in space.

AIAA Associate Fellows Meet and Greet Held for 2023 AIAA Associate Fellows

Some of the new 2023 AIAA Associate Fellows who attended AIAA SciTech Forum. Credit: AIAA

On Tuesday, 24 January, AIAA held a Meet and Greet event at AIAA SciTech Forum so members could congratulate our newest Associate Fellows. These members were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in engineering or scientific work, outstanding merit, and contributions to the art, science, or technology of aeronautics and astronautics.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Soderberg Died in January 2022

Laurence “Larry” R. Soderberg. Credit: Soderberg Family

Laurence “Larry” R. Soderberg, 95, died on 16 January 2022.

Soderberg’s interest in aviation began when he worked summers at Casper Army Airbase, a center for training World War II pilots. In July 1943 he was accepted for the now famous Navy V-12 program that educated and trained 30,000 naval officers at 120 colleges and universities in a crash non-stop 32-month program. Soderberg was sent to the University of Minnesota, graduating with a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering Degree with Honors, and led the V-12 Battalion as Sub-Commander.

Soderberg was assigned to the Canal Zone, maintaining and flying Martin PBM-5 flying boats, searching for residual U-boats along North and South America. Retiring from active duty in June 1946, he remained as an active Navy Reserve through Korea and Vietnam, retiring as Lieutenant Commander in 1986.

Furthering his studies at Ohio State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, Soderberg earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in 1947, before becoming an instructor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wyoming. He also worked at the NACA Ames Laboratory, the Denver Research Institute at the University of Denver, and Beech Aircraft in Boulder.

In 1960, Soderberg was employed by Martin Company (now Lockheed Martin), which held contracts to build the Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles. During his 28 years there, he worked on a variety of programs such as the Space Shuttle; Titans I, II, III; independent research and development; propulsion research; a highly classified Navy satellite; and war gaming against the Soviets. He retired at the Director level from Martin Marietta Aerospace in 1988. He held four U.S. patents that he contrived to solve certain challenging aerospace design problems.

Soderberg ran his own consulting company called Systems Analysis Inc. from 1989 to 1993 and performed highly classified work for the National Academy of Science, Office of Naval Intelligence, and Martin Marietta. He was a Registered Professional Engineer (Ret.) in Colorado and Minnesota.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Dittberner Died in November

Gerald J. Dittberner. Credit: Dittberner Family

Gerald J. Dittberner, 81, renowned climatologist, satellite meteorologist, forecaster, and engineer, died on 22 November 2022.

Dittberner earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota (1964); M.S. degree in Meteorology, Space Science & Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (1969), and his Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin (1977). An early global warming researcher in the 1970s, Dittberner served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, starting with the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s satellite operations and applications. His final posting was as the program manager, Office of Scientific Research at Bolling Air Force Base (1984–1985).

Following retirement from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, Dittberner worked with research satellites in the aerospace industry for 10 years, including as a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) program manager and advanced technology research and development manager for 12 years with NOAA.

Dittberner was a member of AIAA for over 35 years. He was a member of the AIAA Space Operations and Support Technical Committee from 1989 to 1994.

Obituary AIAA Senior Member Bradley Died in December

Robert (Bob) Bradley Credit: Bradley Family

Robert (Bob) Bradley, age 94, died on 2 December 2022.

Bradley was raised around aviation as his father worked for Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), the forerunner of TWA, and served as Charles Lindbergh’s flight mechanic when Lindbergh flew the initial transcontinental survey flight for TAT.

Bradley enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1945, and served in the Communication Service. After leaving the Air Force, he attended the University of Southern California where he graduated in 1953 with a B.Sc. in Physics. He worked for four years at North American Aviation prior to moving in 1957 to Convair Astronautics (later General Dynamics Space Systems Division) where he remained until his retirement in 1993.

He worked initially in Operations Analysis, then in the Technical Information Center, and then the Economic Analysis Group, all in the Advanced Engineering Department. Bradley led or conducted many space and missile cost analyses concerning Atlas and Centaur variants, and many new advanced launch vehicles — Geostationary Platform, the Small ICBM, and the ALS launch vehicle, among others. The group was eventually moved from Engineering into the Contracts and Estimating Department where he became Manager of Economic Analysis.

After his retirement in 1993, Bradley became a volunteer archivist at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, specializing in the space and missile collection and its Convair archives. He wrote and published two volumes on Convair Advanced Designs. Bradley also served on the AIAA Economics Technical Committee from 1990 to 1994.

Obituary AIAA Honorary Fellow Abramson Died in December

Norman Abramson. Credit: Abramson Family

Norman Abramson died on 19 December 2022.

Abramson received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1950 at Stanford University; M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, 1952; Ph.D. at University of Texas, Austin, 1956. He was well known in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics, particularly in aeronautics and astronautics.

Abramson retired as the Executive Vice President of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in 1991, at the completion of 35 years of service in increasingly responsible positions. As Executive Vice President, he transformed SwRI’s international research program to a vital role in maintaining the Institute’s position as one of the leading nonprofit contract R&D organizations in the world. He also oversaw the growth of SwRI to a staff of over 2,500. During this time, Abramson developed a nationally recognized major research and development program in solid and fluid mechanics. His personal contributions to problems of dynamic behavior of liquid propellants in rockets and spacecraft earned him an international reputation. He was internationally known in the field of ship structural analysis and dynamics, as well as an authority in hydroelasticity. Besides serving as the manager or principal investigator of more than a score of significant research projects, he was extensively sought after as a technical consultant and advisor by a large number of governmental agencies and industrial concerns.

Abramson’s accomplishments led to many honors, including the ASME Medal, ASME Centennial Silver Medal, and first recipient of the ASME Applied Mechanics Division Award, along with other numerous scientific awards. He was a member of U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

Abramson joined AIAA in 1947. He became a Fellow in 1970 and an Honorary Fellow in 2018. He was recognized with the 1973 Distinguished Service Award and the Structures, Structural Dynamics, & Materials Award in 1991.