AIAA Region I took a major step forward in integrating AIAA members from Ontario and Quebec when the Region I Student Conference was held 20–21 March in Montreal, Quebec. Hosted by École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and run by the AIAA ÉTS Student Branch and their faculty advisor Ruxandra Botez, the conference welcomed over 170 participants and featured 52 student research presentations from the United States and Canada. Jack Snyder, an aerospace engineering student from Clarkson University remarked, “It was an incredible experience to present my work and learn from other student researchers and industry professionals.”
Keynote speakers from CAE and Airbus Canada shared insights on high-fidelity simulator modeling, flight test data analysis, and sustainable aviation. Attendees also enjoyed a presentation on the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, and the pressures behind the project’s demise and its lasting impact on Canada’s aerospace industry. All paper presenters received a 1/150-scale LEGO Avro Arrow kit courtesy of the AIAA Niagara Frontier Section. The conference also showcased ÉTS’s research excellence with tours of their Research Laboratory in Active Controls, Avionics and Aeroservoelasticity (LARCASE).
Distinguished judges from top aerospace organizations, including GE Aerospace, Altair, Bombardier, and the Moog Space and Defense Group, provided valuable feedback on student research. The event was made possible thanks to generous support from Gold Sponsor Aéro Montréal, and Bombardier, Telesat, Safran Landing Systems, OPAL-RT Technologies, the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and GE Aerospace.
Cash prizes were awarded for first-, second-, and third- place winners for each category and students had the option to publish their papers with AIAA.
Region I Winners
Undergraduate Category
- First place: “Design and Analysis of a Self-Propelled Nanosatellite for a Mission Beyond Low Earth Orbit,” Zoë Jaeger-Letts and Jakub Glowacki, Concordia University (Montreal, Canada)
- Second place: “Structural Analysis and Testing of a Student-Designed UAV Wing,” Jack Snyder and Nick Tepylo, Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY)
- Third place: “Visual Exploration with UAVs: Solving the Next-Best-View Problem with Limited A Priori Information,” Coleman Henner, Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA)
Graduate Category
- First place: “Advancing Space Situational Awareness: Using Multispectral Imaging for Space Object Observation,” Lovejivan Sidhu and Gupreet Singh, York University (Toronto, Canada)
- Second place: “IRMA: New Era for Interstellar Travel,” Christina Decker and Felix May, University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY)
- Third place: “Aircraft Trim Condition Detection Using Flight Test Data and Interval Analysis,” Mouhamadou Wade, École de Technologie Supérieure (Montreal, Canada)
Team Category
- First place: “Design of Morph Wings with Tunable Properties for Ultralight Aircraft,” Serena Dalo, Emre Danabasoglu, Demi Davis, Benjamin France, Fiona Leitner, Maxwell Maria, and James Watson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
- Second place, “Aerodynamic Performance Enhancement of Co-Flow Jet Airfoil with Metamorphic Wing Mechanism,” Rawsen Mitchell, Andrew Leonard, Eric Doraci, and Haifa El-Sadi, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston, MA)
- Third place: “Design of a CubeSat Radio Telescope Constellation,” Zevulun Lieberman, Sjoerd Huitema, Mary Laurens, Aquil-li Rodriguez Plassa, and Mark Russo, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
