Written Sarah Langston and edited by Som Dutta.
On 3 August, the Hampton Roads Section Young Professionals Committee hosted FSU/FAMU robotics professor Christian Hubicki for an invited lecture at NASA Langley Research Center. Hubicki, who also was a popular contestant on the television show Survivor in 2018 and 2026, presented “Thriving in the Wild: Adventures in Mobility and Adaptation from Robotics to Survivor.” The lecture was livestreamed and recorded, with roughly 125 attendees in person and virtually. The engaging talk made the technical content accessible to attendees of all backgrounds.
Following the lecture, Hubicki also took part in an exclusive Meet & Greet pizza lunch. Attendees were able to ask questions about both his robotics research and his experiences on Survivor. More than 70% of attendees were not AIAA members, making these events valuable opportunities to highlight the benefits of AIAA membership to prospective members.
In addition to the public events, Hubicki had the opportunity to tour NASA Langley. In the morning he flew a 737 simulator in the Flight Simulator Facility and engaged in discussions with NASA Langley robotics and autonomy experts while visiting the MACRO/ASTRO Robotics Labs. Hubicki rounded out his tour with visits to the Landing and Impact Research Facility (the “gantry”) and the 14×22 Subsonic Wind Tunnel, where he was impressed by the scale of both facilities.
These events were organized by Seth Kelly (HRS YP co-chair), Michelle Banchy (YP Committee), Michael Lee (YP Committee), Mark Banchy, and Sarah Langston (council member). Special thanks to the AIAA Hampton Roads Section for funding the speaker’s travel.
