April 2009

In this issue:
1. HONORS AND RECOGNITION
2. WELCOME
3. PROMOTIONS
4. WOMEN IN AERO CONFAB DEEMED A SUCCESS
5. IAP COURSE WAS A GAS (TURBINE)
6. ALUMNI-ASTRONAUT NEWS
7. GIANT LEAPS PLANNING PROGRESSES
8. SPACE GRANT SPONSORS WINNING STUDENTS
9. UPDATED CHEM PLAN IS REQUIRED READING

Mark Drela

Raúl Radovitzky

Steve Hall

1. Honors and recognition

Professor Mark Drela has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors in engineering. The citation reads "For creation of breakthrough aircraft designs and design software that enabled operation in new flight regimes." AeroAstro Dept. Head, Prof. Ian Waitz, says, "I think we all know how exceptional Mark is as a researcher, a teacher, and a colleague. It is excellent that he has been recognized in this way."

Professor Raúl Radovitzky has been appointed by the Argentinean Government to the International Advisory Board of that country's Center for Multi-Physics Simulations and Technological Applications. His input will be used to "evaluate the topics on which the Center is focusing and the academic performance of its members."

A team that includes AeroAstro Prof. Steven Hall was notified it will be awarded the prestigious Howard Hughes Award from the American Helicopter Society. The award, given in recognition of an outstanding improvement in fundamental helicopter technology brought to fruition in the previous year, is for work Hall and colleagues completed on an electrical device that can reconfigure the shape of a helicopter blade to drastically reduces blade noise and vibration.

2. Welcome

Welcome to Deatrice "Dee" Moore, our new Financial Assistant II who is working with Ping Lee and Brian O'Conaill to support sponsored research. Dee comes to us from the Microsystems Technology Laboratory, where she worked for eight years as Financial Assistant to the Fiscal Officer. Dee is in 37-375, phone 3-1695.

And, welcome to all the other new folks in the department:

Dr. Enrico Stoll, postdoc associate, with Dave Miller
Dr. Caludio Pita, postdoc associate, with Raul Radovitzky
Dr. Marcelo Buffoni, postdoc associate, with Karen Willcox
Dr. Gergana Bounova, postdoc associate, with Oli de Weck
Dr. Tom Reynolds, research engineer, with Ian Waitz/PARTNER
Dr. Nicholas Cumpsty, visiting professor, with Ian Waitz and Ed Greitzer
Mr. Jeremy Hollman, research affiliate, with Ed Greitzer
Mr. Ju Whan Kim, visiting engineer, with Brian Wardlle
Dr. Boo Cheong Khoo, visiting scientist, with Jaime Peraire
Dr. Vassilis Tsaoussidis, visiting professor, with Eytan Modiano
Dr. Richard Greenwald, research affiliate, with Larry Young
Ms. Zahra Khan, research affiliate, with Jeff Hoffman

Thanks to Anne Maynard and Lauren Gallant for the updates.

Nick Roy

Brian Wardle

3. Promotions

Professors Nicholas Roy and Brian Wardle have been promoted to Associate Professor Without Tenure effective July 1, 2009. AeroAstro Dept. Head, Prof. Ian Waitz, says, I had the benefit of getting to learn a lot about the excellent contributions Brian and Nick are making to research, teaching and service. Both are great colleagues who are on exciting career trajectories. The promotions are very well-deserved recognition of their contributions."

At the April 2-3 Women in Aerospace Conference, Prof. Dava Newman responds to a question posed to the panel "Women in Academia." Other panelists are (from l.) Prof. Sara Seager, EAPS; Prof. Jackie Hewitt, KAVLI; and AeroAstro Prof. Shelia Widnall.

4. Women in Aero confab deemed a success

More than 35 invited grad students, faculty, and engineering professionals attended the AeroAstro-sponsored Women in Aerospace Conference in Cambridge on April 2 and 3.

Attendees heard research presentations by grad students representing Cal Tech, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Princeton, Purdue, Stanford, U. Michigan, and MIT. There were several panel presentations, and ample time for all to network. The conference, which was produced as part of the Giant Leaps Apollo Anniversary series of events, was deemed a great success and is expected to become an annual event.

Prof. Zolti Spakovsky's IAP JetJoe class. One of their engines is disassembled on the bench.

5. IAP Course was a gas (turbine)

Gas Turbine Lab head, Prof. Zolti Spakovszky, reports that 12 undergraduate students participated in the IAP "JetJoe Course" course that offered hands-on modeling and analysis, engine assembly, and operation of a small-scale gas turbine jet engine. Four teams of students first established an aero-thermodynamic performance model and estimated the performance based on geometric information and component performance assumptions.

The jet engines were then tested in the GTL and the winning team was selected based on the outcomes of the modeling approach and testing.

Jameel Janjua

6. Alumni-astronaut news

Canadian native Jameel Janjua (AeroAstro, S.M. '02), a CF-18 Hornet fighter pilot, is one of 16 finalists vying to join their country's astronaut corps. More than 5,000 individuals applied.

Stacey Nakamura of the MIT Club of South Texas keeps us up to date with MIT astronaut/alum doings. She writes, "Mike Fincke will be landing in Russia on April 8. With Mike's departure from the Space Station, we now have "zero" MIT Alumni Astronauts in space until May 12, when John Grunsfeld '80 and Mike Massimino '88, '90, '92, launch on the STS-125 Space Shuttle mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Robert Thirsk '78, '98, will launch on a Soyuz to the ISS May 27, Christopher Cassidy '00, will launch on the STS-127 mission to the ISS in June."

7. Giant Leaps planning progresses

Planning activities continue for the MIT/AeroAstro-organized celebration of the Apollo Program and the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. "Giant Leaps" (as the event is called) activities run the gamut from a memorial to the late Robert Seamans (a principal architect of the Apollo Program, AeroAstro professor and MIT Dean of Engineering); to a day-long symposium with Apollo Program luminaries and today's visionary leaders in energy, environment, air transportation, space exploration, and education; to a Pops concert with almunus Buzz Aldrin narrating Holtz's "The Planets." There will be lab tours, a special exhibit at the MIT museum, and much more. Most activities take place June 10-14. Watch your mail for an invitation, and visit http://apollo40.mit.edu.

8. Space Grant sponsors winning students

A team of students from Newburyport (MA) High School sponsored by Prof. Jeff Hoffman via the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium placed second in the Department of Energy's Real World Design Challenge. Using professional engineering software, students redesigned an existing aircraft to maximize its fuel efficiency while meeting specific performance capabilities. The team won a contribution of $2,000 to its school's science/technology department, a Real World Design Challenge Trophy, and a model of a Cessna CJ4 aircraft.

9. Updated Chem Hygiene Plan is required reading

The updated 2009 Chemical Hygiene Plan is now available. Changes for this year include:

• All MIT laboratories are now required to keep an inventory of their hazardous chemicals
• The section on Toxic Substances Control Act has been expanded, with a special focus on Import and Export of chemicals

Researchers and lab supervisors are required to read this plan. They must certify that they have read the plan by completing and signing the online form on the AeroAstro Environment, Health, and Safety Web Page. Please contact Dick Perdichizzi if you have questions or comments about Environmental Health and Safety issues.

If you know of events, honors, activities, or other information you'd like to see in the next issue of Aero-Astro enews, please send to wlitant@mit.edu — we'd be pleased to include your submissions.

© 2009 MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. All rights reserved.