304048 ofc 001 - university of cincinnatifiles_/links.from.cq5/newsletters/... · letter from the...

College ofEngineering & Applied Science

On the cover -Students build and �yZagi Gliders (radiocontrolled gliders)

Department News2 Letter from the School Director3 Spotlight: Aerospace Program Named Ohio Center of Excellence5 Brian Rowe’s Vision for UC Engineering Students Will Take O� �anks to $1 Million Bequest6 NASA Glenn Research Center Delegate Visits UC7 Teachers Experience Bio-inspired Flight Research at UC7 UC Industry Site Visit8 Professor Peter Nagy Receives the Roy Sharpe Award8 School Director Honored for Impact on Aerospace Education8 Recent Alumni Statistics9 Dr. Gary L. Slater Named Director of the Ohio Space Grant Consortium9 Professor Orkwis Receives 2010 Wandmacher Teaching Award9 Dr. Mohamed Hamdan Joins Faculty10 Faculty Pro�le: Dr. Grant Scha�ner10 Dr. G.R. Liu Joins Faculty as Ohio Eminent Scholar11 Dr. Wade Retires11 Dr. Khosla Retires12 Meet our new Adjunct Faculty12 Faculty Awards12 Adjunct Faculty Pro�le: Dr. Pamela Menges13 Spotlight: Lab Named in Honor of Professor Widen Tabako�

Student News15 Senior Honored with UC’s Presidential Leadership and Herman Schneider Medals of Excellence15 Sophia Mitchell, $80,000 Cincinnatus Scholarship Recipient15 Deans Award - Robert Charvat16 Sydney Barker, Scholar-Athlete, Wins Best Poster at the 2010 Ohio Space Grant Consortium Symposium16 �e NASA Academy at the John Glenn Research Center, Summer 200916 Aerospace Student Awarded “Best Project” in Summer REU Program16 Student News17 Spotlight: UC Aerospace Students Bring Home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place

Contact UsUniversity of CincinnatiCollege of Engineering and Applied ScienceSchool of Aerospace SystemsP.O. Box 210070Cincinnati, OH 45221-0070513-556-3548aerospace.ceas.uc.edu

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Letter from the School Director�is newsletter highlights UC Aerospace Engineering programevents as well as student, faculty and alumni news over the past twoacademic years. Our Senior Design teams continue to win nationaland international competitions and a number of our faculty havealso received awards of recognition from their peers. �e College ofEngineering and Applied Science is now organized into seven schoolsand the School of Aerospace Systems is home for the AerospaceEngineering and Fire Science programs.

�e Aerospace Engineering program now has the unique distinctionof having two Ohio Eminent Scholar Chairs. Dr. G.R. Liu, who isinternationally recognized for his contributions to computationalmechanics, meshless and advanced �nite element methods started atUC September 1st. �e �rst Ohio Eminent Scholar chair has been heldby Professor E�e Gutmark since September 2000. �e program willcontinue to excel with the planned appointment of three additionalfaculty to �ll the Ohio Research Scholar Chairs and one for the Space Exploration Chair. Among our numerousfaculty and student awards and recognitions we were especially happy to celebrate, in spring 2010, ProfessorTabako� ’s ��y years of outstanding contributions naming the propulsion lab in his honor. Professor Tabako�founded and continued to build the lab through externally funded research over the years. Several of ProfessorTabako� ’s students and colleagues throughout the industry and government joined us in celebrating this joyousoccasion that coincided with his 90th birthday and the 80th anniversary of Aerospace Engineering at UC.

Aerospace Department Advisory Board (Spring 2009)

From left to right: Dr. Baily Vittal, Liberty Works, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies; Mr. Steve Clark, Belcan Corporation; Dr. Edward

M. Kraft, AEDC; Dr. Jack Benek, AFRL/WPAFB; Dr. Ronnie Miller, PAC/MISTRAS; Dr. Mike Heil, Ohio Aerospace Institute; Dr. George

Schmidt, NASA Glenn Research Center; Mr. Tim Kinne, General Electric Aviation; Mr. Glen Knight, Belcan Corp; Dr. Carol Russo, NASA Ames

Research Center; Dr. Joe Renaud, Ohio Governor’s Ofce; Dr. Don Paul, AFRL/WPAFB; Mr. Dick Johnson, Gulfstream Aerospace; Dr. Alan

Garscadden, AFRL/WPAFB; and Dr. Alok Das, AFRL/WPAFB.

UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science Aerospace Program

named Ohio Center ofExcellence

D E P A R T M E N T S P O T L I G H T

3 | University of Cincinnati, College of Engineering and Applied Science

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Eric Kearney, Ohio Senator; Rich Martinko, Univ. of Toledo

Director of the Intermodal Transportation Institute and

University Transportation Center; Eric Fingerhut, Chancellor;

Carlo Montemagno, UC College of Engineering and Applied

Science Dean; Gregory Williams, UC President; Mickey

McCabe, Univ. of Dayton VP for Research and Executive

Director of Research Institute; Steven Angle, Provost Wright

State University; and Caroline Whitcare, VP for Research at

the Ohio State University

Prof. SM Jeng, Daniel Galbriath (student), UC President

Williams, and Cody Lafountain (student)

Chancellor Eric Fingerhut


addresses the crowd

Chancellor Eric Fingerhut and Ohio Board of Regentsannounced the Advanced Transportation and AerospaceCenters of Excellence. �e University of Cincinnati wasnamed a Center of Excellence in Intelligent Air & SpaceVehicle Energy Systems based on its leadership over the past80 years in contributions to the industry and to the state’seconomy.

�e goal of these Centers of Excellence is to focus theiracademic and research activities on creation of advancedtransportation and aerospace technology developmentto create more jobs and strengthen Ohio’s ability to bringinnovative technologies to commercialization.

In introducing Chancellor Fingerhut, UC President GregoryWilliams noted, “Strong universities and strong programs,like these Centers of Excellence, work to attract and keepthe best and brightest young people in Ohio and ... A robustsystem of public universities is indispensable to Ohio’seconomic future.”

UC’s Center of Excellence in Aerospace Engineering willbuild on its current strengths and develop innovative,breakthrough technologies to provide the next generation ofaircra� power and propulsion systems, advanced compositematerials and coatings, and intelligent systems technologies.�ese technologies a�ect every aspect of an air or space cra�and are vital to its design and performance.

With state support and a private $20 million endowment,the search for stellar aerospace authorities for the schoolis underway. �e endowment is providing two chairs, the

�omas Je�erson Chair in Space Explorationand the Alan B. Shepard Chair in SpaceExploration, dedicated to space explorationand research.

�e UC School of Aerospace Systems alsoleads a $27.5 million research program focusedon power and propulsion. �e grant is partof the state’s investment in research to fostereconomic development and will shortly resultin the hiring of three Ohio Research Scholars.In addition, the School now has the uniquedistinction of having two Ohio EminentScholars, Drs. Ephraim Gutmark and Gui-Rong Liu.

As a Center of Excellence for Aerospace Engineering, theSchool of Aerospace Systems expects to be moving towardeven higher levels of excellence in education and research.

named Ohio Center ofExcellence

Center for IntelligentPropulsion InauguralSeminar by DougBowers, PropulsionDirectorate, Air ForceResearch Lab, WPAFBOn October 30, 2009, Mr. Bowersdiscussed some of the important andexciting programs that are beingdeveloped in the directorate’s R&Dportfolio including Adaptive CycleTurbine Engines, Electrical Propulsionin Space, Hydrocarbon Boost RocketPropulsion, Energy, Power and�ermal Challenges, the upcomingX-51 Hypersonic vehicle �ights (toMach #6) and the Alternative Fuels andCerti�cation programs.

�e Air Force Research Laboratory(AFRL) mission is to lead the discovery,development and integration ofa�ordable war-�ghting technologies.AFRL is responsible for planning andimplementing the entire USAF scienceand technology budget that covers basicresearch, exploratory development andadvanced development. �e AFRLPropulsion Directorate develops air andspace vehicle propulsion technologies,including turbine engines, rocketengines, advanced high speed propulsionand power technologies and associatedfuels, lubricants, propellants and thermalmanagement.

aerospace.ceas.uc.edu | 4


addresses the crowd

Brian Rowe’s Vision for UC Engineering StudentsWill Take Off �anks to $1 Million Bequest�e late Brian H. Rowe, chairman emeritus of the former GE Aircra� Engines (nowknown as GE Aviation), was a loyal supporter of the University of Cincinnati. �e Rowefamily foundation recently donated $1 million in ful�llment of his bequest to the Collegeof Engineering and Applied Science.

Rowe played a key role in the development of the world’s most powerful engine, whichwas used on the Boeing 777. While Rowe was known around the world as a leader inaviation (working at GE from 1979 to 1993), at UC he was known as a strong supporterof engineering — especially engineering students.

“Brian Rowe was a pioneer and leader in the design, development and manufacture ofcommercial aviation for half a century,” says Carlo Montemagno, Dean of UC’s College ofEngineering and Applied Science. “�roughout his career, he made many contributionsto the advancement of technology in the �eld of jet engines. He was very generousin working to improve opportunities for women who were interested in studyingengineering. His commitment to higher education re�ected his interest in providing forthe education of future generations of leaders in engineering.”

In 2001, through a generous donation from Rowe, UC created the Brian Rowe Center forWomen in Engineering. �e Rowe Center for Women at the College of Engineering andApplied Science was established with Rowe’s personal gi� of $300,000. He funded theRowe Center for three years and then renewed his commitment with another gi�. �ecenter, which opened in January 2002, promotes undergraduate recruitment, retentionand post-graduate mentoring for female engineering students.

“He really had great faith in UC and how it was growing,” says Rowe’s daughter, PennyDinsmore, as she presented UC with the gi�. “Dad wanted to encourage women inengineering. He was very interested in educating women and in getting more women in

the workforce.”

“I know he always thought veryhighly of the school and alwaysbelieved the engineering schoolhere was top-notch,” says NickDinsmore, son of Penny andJohn Dinsmore. He noted thathis grandfather had worked asan apprentice while going toschool at night. “So he believedstrongly in the co-op programand the experience it gave. Hefound that the strength of theco-op program here was muchlike the apprenticeship youwould get in England and othercountries.”

Brian Rowe speaks at the

Aerospace Engineering 75th

Anniversary celebration in

October 2004.

Sr. Assoc. Dean Frank Gerner, John and Penny Dinsmore, Prof. Awatef Hamed,

Nick and Nina Dinsmore

D E P A R T M E N T N E W S


Nick Dinsmore, like his grandfather andhis father, John, works for GE. He studiedmechanical engineering at UC, in fact, to hisgrandfather’s delight. “Dad encouraged Nick tobecome an engineer and to join the UC co-opprogram,” Penny Dinsmore says.

“He felt strongly that business leaders needto understand both the technical side andthe business side, and that the technical wayof thinking is not something you can learnworking on the job,” says Dinsmore. “You’ve gotto learn it in school and experience it in the jobenvironment and again the co-op program inthat regard is just phenomenal.”

“Brian was a very innovative and creativeleader in aviation. He enjoyed supporting andinteracting with engineering students. Hissupport enabled engineering students to thriveand expand their international experience,”says Awatef Hamed, director of the School ofAerospace Systems. “He was a friend and strongsupporter of the college.”

Rowe received an honorary doctor ofscience degree from UC in 1987 and was aUC Foundation Board Member, an AlumniAssociation Lifetime Member and a Circleof Honor Benefactor. In 2001, besides theRowe Center for Women at the College ofEngineering and Applied Science, he alsoestablished the Newcastle exchange programfor engineering students at the University of Cincinnati. �e Newcastle Exchange Program annually exchanges a UCstudent with an engineering student from the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom.

�e gi� from Rowe’s foundation will be used to match funds set aside from a $27.5 million grant awarded by the Ohio�ird Frontier program for a Center for Intelligent Propulsion and Advanced Life Management. A portion of that grant isfor a chair in the School of Aerospace Systems — but it has to be matched in cash before it can be �lled.

“�ere will be an endowed chair in his name at the college recognizing the strong association between UC and GE,”says Hamed. “�ere are approximately 1,000 GE engineers who have obtained their master’s and PhD degrees from theUC aerospace department in a program started in 1967 by Professor Widen Tabako�.” (In fact, Brian Rowe had beenthe keynote speaker at the 75th anniversary of UC’s aerospace program, when they celebrated being the second-oldestaerospace department in the country.)

“My grandfather always cared for his customer and tried to give his customer products that they appreciated, thatbene�tted them,” says Nick Dinsmore. “�ings like prognostics, diagnostics and intelligent health monitoring are all goingto help bring value to the customers.”

Born in London, England on May 6, 1931, Rowe died at the age of 75 in Philadelphia on February 22, 2007, followingsurgery. �e Dinsmore family presented the check to UC on what would have been Brian Rowe’s 79th birthday.

NASA Glenn Research Center DelegationVisits UCA delegation from NASA’s Glenn Research Center—led by thenDirector Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, Jr.—visited the University ofCincinnati on February 2, 2009. He was accompanied by a teamincluding Lori Manthey, Executive O�cer and Dr. Robert J. Shaw,Chief of Business Development and Partnerships. �e group touredthe Aerospace Lab facilities both at Center Hill and on campus, aswell as had a meeting with President Nancy Zimpher and DeanCarlo Montemagno. Dr. Whitlow is now Associate Administratorfor mission support at NASA Headquarters.


From left to right: Ms. Lory Manthey, NASA GRS; Dr. Robert J. Shaw, NASA

GRC; Dean Carlo Montemagno, UC; Woodrow Whitlow, NASA Headquarters;

Former UC President Nancy Zimpher and Professor Awatef Hamed.

Teachers Experience Bio-inspired FlightResearch at UCMelissa Burns, a 6th grade teacher at Sharpsburg Elementary inNorwood, Ohio and Amy Jameson, a high school teacher at GilbertA. Dater High School in Cincinnati, Ohio were accepted into theSummer RET (Research Experience for Teachers) Program at theUniversity of Cincinnati held during July-August 2010. �e ideabehind this experience is for teachers to gain a better understandingof engineering, complete STEM (science, technology, engineering andmathematics) lessons and be involved in a real research project bycreating an experiment, �eld testing, completing simulations, collectingand analyzing data over a six week period of time. �ere were twelveteachers involved, broken down into six pairs, and placed on one ofsix projects: nanotechnology, �ight, water testing, biodiesel, tra�cand energy. Each morning they were exposed to lectures, seminars,demonstrations, and even several �eld trips. Guest speakers for eachof the projects came in and presented why engineering is important totheir topic and how they can get students more involved and inspiredby their love of science.

Melissa and Amy were placed in the bio-inspired �ight project. Underthe guidance of Dr. Kelly Cohen, Associate Professor of AerospaceEngineering, Cody Lafountain and Curtis Fox, they learned about theprinciples of �ight, created models of airfoils to test in the smoke and

wind tunnel, built and �ew a Zagi (a radio controlled glider) and then used an in-house so�ware, AeroMorph, to create“new” airfoils, including a very unique dragon-�y con�gurations. At the end of the experience, Melissa and Amy hadcreated classroom lessons, PowerPoints, movies and posters to share with their students and other educators. �ey alsocompleted a research paper, PowerPoint and poster which they presented to a group of engineers to explain their researchand what they learned during their summer experience.

�is project won �rst place with the research paper, the classroom implementation report, the research poster and thelesson plan poster. It placed �rst in 4 of the 6 categories. Professor Awatef Hamed, Director, School of Aerospace Systems islooking into expanding the above positive experience into a meaningful outreach program aimed at introducing aerospaceengineering concepts in schools thereby underscoring the “E” in “STEM”.

UC Industry Site Visit�e Ohio Aerospace Institute and the Department ofAerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics organizeda UC visit for 28 industry participants October 30-31, 2008.�e day started with a welcome from Dean Montemagno anda brie�ng by Professor Hamed on the Ohio Research ScholarAward for Intelligent Propulsion Systems, highlighting Collegeand Department research. �e group visited the AerospaceCombustion Labs, High Temperature Erosion Facilities andthe Gas Turbine Simulation Lab at Center Hill. A�er returningto campus, the visitors split into smaller groups to tour theAerospace Propulsion and Non Destructive EvaluationLaboratories and Mechanical and Material Engineeringresearch laboratories guided by students Ryan Noble (AE2009) and Krista Kirievich (AEEM 2010).



Jeff Kastner, Research Assistant Professor, shows visitors

the Propulsion Lab

School Director Honored for Impact on Aerospace EducationProfessor Awatef A. Hamed received the J. Leland Atwood Award in honor of her outstanding work with engineeringstudents at the University of Cincinnati and around the world. She was honoredat the awards luncheon on January 6, 2009 as part of the 47th AIAA AerospaceSciences Meeting at the World Center Marriott, Orlando, FL.

�e AIAA and the American Society for Engineering Education jointly sponsorthe J. Leland Atwood award, to recognize outstanding educational achievementand to encourage innovative improvements in aerospace education. �e awardhonors the legacy of J. Leland “Lee” Atwood, an early aviation pioneer. Duringhis tenure at North American Aviation, Inc. Atwood designed both the P-51Mustang �ghter, and the B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber. Atwood retired as thehead of North American Rockwell Corp., one of America’s premier aviationcompanies.

Professor Peter Nagy Receives the Roy Sharpe Award

�e Roy Sharpe Prize is awarded annually by the Technical Committeeof the British Institute of NDT and sponsored by an organizationin Associate Membership of the Institute. It rewards signi�cantcontribution through research and development in any branch of NDTto the bene�t of industry or society.

�e 2008 Roy Sharpe Prize was presented at the NDT 2009 Conferencein Blackpool, UK on 15 September by Doug Wylie, TWI’s Training NDTProgramme Manager. �e recipient was Professor Peter Nagy from theDepartment of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics atthe University of Cincinnati. Professor Nagy is the second USA recipientof this prestigious award. His Roy Sharpe Prize lecture was entitled:Non-destructive methods for materials state awareness monitoring.


Recent Alumni StatisticsProfessor Paul Orkwis reported the results of the UC Aerospace Engineering Program Alumni Survey that heconducted for the classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007. Of 90 alums, 40 responded to the survey, for a 44% return, whichis really outstanding!

Of those responding, 87.5% are employed in Aerospace Engineering or a closely related �eld. Almost all have beenpromoted or their job responsibilities have increased. Half have attended graduate school, and 60% have completed someprofessional development. Most are involved in a professional organization and many in a community organization. �isimpressive list of accomplishments is a real credit to their skills and talents as engineers in these trying times. We areproud of our alumni and anticipate that this talented group can make a di�erence as to where aerospace and the countrygoes in the future.

Dr. George A Georgiou, President of the British

Institute of Non-destructive Testing, and Prof. Nagy

Prof. Hamed and AIAA President,

Dr. Paul Neilson


Dr. Gary L. Slater NamedDirector of the Ohio Space GrantConsortiumOn September 1, 2009, Dr. Gary L. Slater o�cially assumedhis role as the new Director of the Ohio Space GrantConsortium (OSGC). �e NASA/OSGC is part of theNational Space Grant College and Fellowship Program,which is funded through Congress and administered byNASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. �ere are 52 SpaceGrants—one in each state—plus the District of Columbiaand Puerto Rico. OSGC is based at the Ohio AerospaceInstitute in Cleveland, OH and is comprised of 17 Ohiocolleges and universities, six community colleges, NASAGlenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH, and the Air ForceResearch Laboratories in Dayton, OH.

Currently a Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineeringand Engineering Mechanics at the University of Cincinnati(UC), Gary was elected Director by the OSGC ExecutiveCommittee. Dr. Slater has a long-standing commitmentto NASA and the Ohio Space Grant for many years as UCCampus Representative.

In addition to his role as Director of OSGC, Dr. Slatermaintains a research program focusing on Air Tra�cControl, which is currently funded by NASA.

Professor Orkwis Receives 2010Wandmacher Teaching AwardPaul Orkwis began his career at UC as an assistant professorin 1991. A native New Yorker, he “grew up under the �ightpath for Kennedy airport.” It seems that airplanes are hisdestiny: his sister worked for the airlines so he got to �y at ayoung age. As a student in technical high school, he trainedfor a job as an airplane mechanic, but with each step in hiseducation, Paul raised his sights. He earned a bachelor’sdegree in mathematics at Dowling College. With that underhis belt, he moved on to North Carolina State for Masterand Ph.D. degrees.

Paul has earned teaching awards throughout his career.He is currently on the “Master Educator” list, to whichhe was �rst elected in 2006. He is known for helpingstudents understand basic principles and visualize theresults. Students say that he uses humor to create arelaxed atmosphere that is conducive to learning. �eWandmacher Teaching Award is given annually to only oneindividual across the College.

Paul also teaches through his research at bothundergraduate and graduate levels. For the past decade,he has been part of GE Aviation’s University StrategicAlliance, in which he works with others from an elite groupof schools: MIT, Stanford, Michigan, OSU, Notre Dame,Georgia Tech, Aachen and Tsinghua. Paul is also a memberof the University of Michigan/U.S. Air Force/BoeingCollaborative Center for Aeronautical Sciences, where histeam works collaboratively with experimentalists to dopretest simulations of facilities and assist in design.

Asked what he likes best about UC, he replies, “It’s rightin the middle of everything—GEAE, a major enginemanufacturer; the Air Force Research Labs in Dayton; andNASA Glenn.”

In addition to his academic credentials, Paul is a licensedsoccer coach. An avid sports fan, he has Bengals seasontickets attends many UC football and basketball games.

Dr. Mohamed Hamdan Joins FacultyDr. Hamdan joined Aerospace Engineering at UC as a FieldService Associate Professor September 2010 following ayear as Adjunct Professor. His focus will be on teachingStatics, Dynamics, and fault diagnosis in structures courses.Dr. Hamdan served as a full time faculty member in thethen newly established Mechanical Engineering (ME)Department at the University of Jordan (UJ) in Amman,Jordan Since 1982. At that time, the ME department at UJhad only four full time faculty members and less than ahundred undergraduate students and no lab facilities. Hewas assigned the task of developing and implementing aregionally and internationally reputable undergraduate andgraduate Mechanical Engineering program. Dr. Hamdanwas a visiting professor at the United Arab EmiratesUniversity in 2006 and at Washington State University in1992.

Dr. Hamdan has supervised over 20 MS and Ph.D. students,and has over ��y refereed journal articles and conferencepapers. He developed and o�ered short courses andworkshops on vibration analysis and monitoring techniquesfor fault diagnosis/rotor dynamics and �uid power circuitanalysis and design in Jordan and in Saudi Arabia. Heobtained his BS degree in Aerospace and MechanicalEngineering from Oklahoma State University in 1976 andhis Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1982.


Faculty Profile: Dr. GrantSchaffnerDr. Scha�ner joined the Aerospace EngineeringDepartment at UC as an Assistant Professor inSeptember 2009 following ayear as an Adjunct Professor.He teaches spacecra� designand orbital mechanics, aswell as integrated spacecra�engineering and spacecra�dynamics. He plans to setup a lab to examine humanhealth and survival in extremeenvironments, focusingon space�ight and combatapplications.

Most recently, Dr. Scha�nerhas been working as a Sta�Scientist at BAE Systems inFair�eld, Ohio. His workinvolved computationalsimulation of vehicleand human dynamics during blast and rolloverevents. Prior to that, he worked for six years at theNASA Johnson Space Center developing exercisecountermeasures to space�ight induced physiologicalchanges; performing critical mission taskassessments; and examining human performanceand injury risk during extravehicular activity. He alsoserved on the NASA Lunar Architecture Team forthe Constellation Program.

Dr. Scha�ner has a rich background in the aerospaceindustry. He has worked on the Space ShuttleWakeshield Facility, the COMET (CommercialExperiment Transport) spacecra�, Boeing satellites,the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and Pratt& Whitney rocket motor gimbals. In addition, hehas worked on multiple experiments �own on theSpace Shuttle and Space Station to explore structuraldynamics and control, protein crystal growth, andsemiconductor fabrication.

Dr. Scha�ner is a member of the American Instituteof Aeronautics and Astronautics and the AerospaceMedical Association. He received his bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronauticsfrom MIT in 1989 and 1995, respectively, and hisdoctorate in Medical Engineering from the Harvard -MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.

Dr. G.R. Liu Joins Facultyas Ohio Eminent ScholarDr. Gui-Rong Liu joined the Universityof Cincinnati’s School of AerospaceSystems as Ohio Eminent Scholar inSeptember 2010. He has made signi�cantcontributions in the area of computationalmethods, especially in meshfree methodsand advanced �nite element methods. Heestablished the G space theory, principlesfor W2 formulations, and the families ofsmoothed �nite element methods andsmoothed point interpolation methods. Hismethods have been widely applied to solvesolid mechanics, material and geometricnonlinear problems, �uid dynamics, and�uid-structural interaction problemsin engineering systems as well as bio-systems. A highly productive and well-citedscholar in the area of computer modelingand simulation, Dr. Liu is the author ofnine books including Mesh Free Method:Moving Beyond the Finite Element Methodand Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: AMeshfree Particle Method. He is also theEditor-in-Chief of the International Journalof Computational Methods and a memberof the Executive Council of the International

Association forComputationalMechanics.Dr. Liu comesto UC fromthe NationalUniversity ofSingapore wherehe was Directorof the Centrefor AdvancedComputationsin EngineeringScience.

An additionalEminent Scholar

chair (in Experimental Fluid Dynamics) iscurrently held by Dr. Ephraim Gutmark.�e School of Aerospace systems is uniquein the State of Ohio in having two EminentScholar chairs.


Dr. Wade RetiresProfessor James “Jim” Wadeannounced his retirement from theDepartment in June 2009. Jim wasan early graduate of the AeronauticalEngineering program at UC-graduating in 1957. He went on toa career in the Air Force, rising tothe rank of Lieutenant Colonel andeducationally completing his Ph.D.degree at the Air Force Institute ofTechnology. Jim’s responsibilitiesin the Air Force covered a rangeof duties at the Flight DynamicsLaboratory at Wright Patterson inDayton, as well as an assignmenton the faculty at the US Air ForceAcademy.

Jim grew up in Cincinnati, graduatedfrom Hughes High School adjacentto the University, and is noted asone of the �rst African-Americangraduates at UC College ofEngineering. �us, upon retirementfrom the Air Force, it is notable thathe joined the College of Engineeringin 1979 as an Assistant Dean, incharge of the minority-engineeringprogram with the goal of increasedrecruitment and retention ofminorities in the College.

Jim le� the Dean’so�ce to become afull-time teachingfaculty member inthe Department.As instructor, Jimtaught almost allthe structuresoriented coursesin the AerospaceDepartment, andalso took over dutiesadministering theCollege Mechanics program. Heserved as AIAA Student Branchfaculty adviser, a stint as DepartmentGraduate Director, and a host ofother professorial administrativeduties.

Jim’s many contributions in his 50+year career will be missed, but wewish him and his wife Annie well,as they both move on to enjoy theirretirement.

Dr. Khosla RetiresA�er thirty-one years of serviceto the Department of AerospaceEngineering and EngineeringMechanics (now the School ofAerospace Systems),Professor Prem Khoslaretired at the end of Juneas Professor Emeritus.

A�er completing hisPhD requirementsat Punjab Universityin India, in 1964Professor Khoslaaccepted a position asa Research Associatein the Department ofAerospace Engineering and AppliedMechanics at the PolytechnicInstitute of Brooklyn (now thePolytechnic Institute of New YorkUniversity). Shortly therea�er, he wasappointed to the department facultyand began his distinguished career inresearch and teaching in the areas of

aerodynamics, rare�ed gasdynamics and computational�uid dynamics (CFD). Premcollaborated with otherfaculty members on a severalresearch grants and advisedseveral PhD students. �isresulted in numerous papersat technical conferencesand articles in majortechnical journals. In 1973,the international journal,Computers and Fluids, wasestablished by Pergamon

Press. Prem played a major role inthe development of this journal, andhe continued to serve on its EditorialBoard throughout his career.

In 1979, Professor Khosla joinedthe faculty of the Department ofAerospace Engineering and AppliedMechanics at UC. He continuedhis research and teaching activitiesin CFD and related areas, and hewas supported by numerous grantsfrom AFOSR, ONR, and severalNASA centers. He was an importantcontributor to the NASA Center ofExcellence in Computational FluidDynamics in the Department, andto the UC/NASA University Space

Engineering ResearchCenter on HealthMonitoring of SpacePropulsion Systemsin the College. Hereceived several studentrecognition awards, andhe was very active in theCollege of Engineering’sEmerging EthnicEngineers programfor underrepresentedgroups in Engineering.

In 1994, Prof. Khosla was appointedthe Associate Department Head,where he served the Departmentadmirably until his recent retirement.Prem was usually the �rst contactfor most prospective students whovisited the Department, and theenthusiasm for the Departmentthat he generated is evidenced bythe large number of students whojoined the Department as freshmen.In addition, Prem was one of theprimary architects and supporters ofthe Department’s highly successfulACCEND program, where highlyquali�ed students receive MS degreesshortly a�er their BS degrees.

Professor Khosla’s intelligence, warmsmile, wit, and key insights will bemissed by the students that he taughtand advised, by his fellow facultymembers, by the sta�, and by all whohad the joy of working with him on aregular basis. We wish him well in hisretirement.



Adjunct Faculty Profile: Dr. Pamela MengesPamela A. Menges, Ph.D., joined the Department of Aerospace Engineeringand Engineering Mechanics as an adjunct faculty member. She is President andCEO of Aerospace Research Systems, Inc. (ARSI), a 16-year old research anddevelopment �rm completing the detail design phase of the Ramstar OrbitalSpaceplane. �e ARSI spaceplane is derived from Dr. Menges’ hypersonic UAVdeveloped through her doctoral research.

Upon completion the Ramstar Spaceplane Flying Testbed will be licensed and �own as an experimental jet and provide aplatform for mission planning, analysis and simulation as well as integration of new technologies. �e Ramstar spaceplaneis designed as a modular vehicle to allow for up-grades and modi�cations and new technologies evolve. �e projectincludes new materials and optronic systems to reduce power consumption and improve reliability for space systems.

Dr. Menges, whose degrees include mathematics, biomathematics and high-energy physics, has more than 15 yearsexperience in research and engineering. A�er completing her postdoctoral research at Los Alamos National Laboratoryin Space Engineering and International Technology groups, she returned to ARSI in 1998 as President and Director of

Engineering. She is an experienced �ight test engineer and commercialpilot. Her research includes hypersonics, arti�cial intelligence andbiomimetic and advanced functional materials, reusable launch vehicles,adaptive and modular wind generators.

Dr. Menges is a senior member of the American Institute for Aeronauticsand Astronautics (AIAA) and a member of the American PhysicalSociety, American Association for the Advancement of Science and theArchaeological Institute of America.She was recently made a fellow ofthe NASA Institute for AdvancedConcepts for her work in developinga new class of functional structuresand biomimetic computers appliedto �apping wing �ight and morphingvehicles.

Meet our new Adjunct FacultyMr. Barry Hunt obtained his BS and MS from Cambridge University TrinityCollege. He has extensive industrial experience �rst at British Aerospace andlater at GE Aviation in Knowledge Based System Integration and in Heat Transferand Fluid Systems Design.

Mr. Johnathan Morarity is Program Manager at Belcan Corporation withexpertise in control system so�ware and engine modeling and simulation. Heobtained his BS from Case Western Reserve and his MS from the University ofCincinnati.

Dr. Stephen K. Shirooni received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from theUniversity of Cincinnati and his MS and BS from the University of Louisville. Heis currently the Lead Manager of Large Military Engines Rotating Part Designat General Electric Aviation in Evendale where his responsibilities over the pastyears were in the areas of heat transfer and secondary �ow, engine airplaneintegration and Large Military Engines.


How to Make aGift to the School ofAerospace Systems�e School appreciates alumnisupport at any level. If you wouldlike to contribute to the School’simportant mission, pleasemake your check out to the UCFoundation/School of AerospaceSystems and send to:

University of CincinnatiCollege of Engineering andApplied ScienceO�ce of DevelopmentPO Box 210018Cincinnati, OH 45221-0018

On-line gi�s can be made atwww.Giveto.UC.edu. Indicatethat the gi� is for the School ofAerospace Systems when �llingout the on-line giving form.

Faculty AwardsDr. Bruce Walker won the College’s

Master Educator award presented onJune 4, 2009

Dr. Kelly Cohen won the 2009 NeilWandmacher Teaching award for YoungFaculty presented on June 4, 2009 andthe Kenneth Harris James Prize 2010award given by the Aerospace IndustriesDivision from the Institution ofMechanical Engineers, United Kingdom

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Aero Propulsion and Gas Dynamics Labnamed in honor of Professor

Widen Tabakoff�e University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees approved on November 17, 2009 thenaming of the 300 Rhodes Aero Propulsion lab a�er Prof. Tabako�.

Widen Tabako�, was born in Bulgaria, received a master of science degree in mechanicalengineering from the University of Prague in 1941. His interest in pursuing aerospaceengineering postgraduate studies took him to the University of Berlin where he studiedfor only one semester before Hitler’s advancing army forced him to move to Vienna tocontinue his studies. Tabako� earned his PhD in 1945 from the University of Berlin andcontinued his research there until 1947, working with Werner von Braun—who had beena member of Tabako� ’s thesis committee— and Hans von Ohein—who led gas turbineresearch.

Tabako� le� Berlin in 1947 to join von Ohein and other scientists in their e�orts todevelop supersonic aircra�. He worked in Argentina until 1955, when he returned toGermany to work for Hoechst AG. In that same year the U.S. Army invited Tabako�to join Werner von Braun’s research group in Huntsville, Alabama. During this time Tabako� traveled to Cincinnati onassignment to work with the U.S. Army Engineering Division Laboratory (formerly located on the Ohio River) to test hightemperature alloy materials developed by a contractor for use in the nozzle of the Saturn V rocket.

Tabako� ’s family very much liked their life in Cincinnati, even though he worked for the Army based in Huntsville. �eArmy wanted to retain Tabako� ’s services and agreed that he and his family could live permanently in Cincinnati. �isdevelopment in his professional career led to an o�er from the University of Cincinnati to become a member of theaerospace faculty also.

At this time the Air Force was experiencing problems in locating the payloads of rockets that fell into the ocean manymiles away from the launch sites. Tabako� and a colleague determined that the Air Force’s failure to take into accountthe prevailing wind conditions at launch was the reason the payloads could not be located. Together, the two scientistsundertook to pinpoint the entry locations in the ocean where the payloads ended up by painstakingly using slide rulecalculations to compile a grid of possible locations based on the wind conditions. �e Air Force used the grid to stationtwo ships ten miles apart so that the payloads could be quickly recovered. For his e�ort Tabako� received the sum of$20,000 along with a salary for continued work.

As a new faculty member, Tabako� was anxious to develop a laboratory where he could experiment on the detonation ofmaterials for rockets and aircra�. Sponsored by the Army, he re-located a wind tunnel supported by “monster” air tanks(3500 �3 @ 200 psig) from WPAFB to the University of Cincinnati at the cost of $50,000. Support from government andindustry allowed for additional features of the laboratory including cascade tunnels, combustion and heat transfer facilities,and turbo machinery test facilities.

Tabako� worked with colleagues in astronomy, mathematics, and physics to establish graduate studies at the university—the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati—where MS and PhD degrees in aerospace engineering becameavailable in 1959. Tabako� was named the AerospaceDepartment’s Director of Graduate Studies in that same year.

o� travravra eled to Cincinnati ond on the Ohio River) to test high

n V rocket.

e Army based in Huntsville. �eermanently in Cincinnati. �iso become a member of the

ets that fet fet f ll into the ocean manyce’s fa’s fa’ ilure to take into account

ted. Tog. Tog. T ether, ter, ter he two scientistsy painstakingly using slide rule

e Air Force used the grid to stationrt Tat Tat T bako� received the sum of

uld experiment on the detonation ofunnel supported by “monster” air tanks

f $50,000. Support frt frt f om government ands, combustion and heat transfer fsfer fsf acer facer f ilities,

lish graduate studies at the university—in aerospace engineering became

raduate Studies in that same year.

D E P A R T M E N T S P O T L I G H T

13 | University of Cincinnati, College of Engineering and Applied Science|

Aero Propulsion and Gas Dynamics LabProfessor

Widen Tabakoff

Tabako� built a strong research program in propulsion and also taught courses. Increasingly, many of his students includedemployees of General Electric Aircra� Engines (GEAE) in Evendale. Tabako� worked within the university to obtainapproval for a degree program for employees of GE who wanted to pursue graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati.�e program, called the GE Advanced Engineering Course, was designed as a co-op program for graduate students whoattended classes at UC and GE-Evendale. Since the �rst class of students in the GE-AE/UC program graduated in 1969,1,000 GE employees have obtained their graduate degrees.

In 1968 Tabako� ’s proposal for a propulsion multidisciplinary NASA sponsored center was awarded and he served asdirector of Project �emis, involving 11 faculty from three departments—Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science,and Chemical Engineering. Funding of Project �emis exceeded $6M and provided support for many graduate studentsover ten years. In the course of performing work on Project �emis, Tabako� continuously upgraded the researchinfrastructure, shaping the Propulsion Research Laboratory’s into a world-class experimental facility. Research in thePropulsion Laboratory has evolved and the lab has been the mainstay testing facility for Tabako� ’s acclaimed erosiontesting work.

In 1972 Tabako� was named one of the U.S. Army’s “Men of Achievement” for his work with the U.S. Army ResearchO�ce. He developed a unique erosion wind tunnel that simulates the aerodynamic conditions for turbo-machine bladesexposed to high temperature particulate �ows. �e erosion tunnel was also used to measure particle “restitution ratios”employing Laser Doppler Velocimetry.

�roughout his career, Tabako� has been dedicated to providing opportunity for underrepresented students to pursueengineering education. His approach has been to empower students, providing the nurture and structure for personsof all demographic and cultural backgrounds to discover their potential. Case in point—he has served as a mentor forunderrepresented high school students through the Army’s Research and Education Apprenticeship Program (REAP) forover twenty �ve years.

Tabako� is an AIAA and ASME Fellow and the recipient of the prestigious ASME Fluid Machinery Design Award. Hemanaged several major multidisciplinary research projects and produced over 500 publications. He has been a thesisadvisor for more than 500 M.S. and 30 Ph.D. students. He has had externally sponsored research support every year of hiscareer at the University of Cincinnati.

Over $100M monetary funds are traced directly and as a consequence of Prof. Tabako� ’s contributions over his 50years career at UC. �rough continued external sponsored research funding he built the necessary infrastructure of highpressure air supply, storage tanks, etc currently valued at $20M for the Propulsion Lab at 300 Rhodes Hall. �e named labfacilities gave UC the competitive advantage for several State awards totaling over $33M.

Department Head Awatef Hamed spoke for generations of persons whose lives have been touched by the genius andhumanity of Widen Tabako�. She said, “We are lucky he came here.”

Prof. Mike Dunn and Mrs. Manika Dunn (OSU), Prof. Hamed, Prof. Tabakoff,

Dr. Carol Russo (NASA Ames Research Center), and Dr. Richard Rivir (AFRL)

Dr. Dave Brown, Margie Longhaus, Prof. Tabakoff, Mr. Jim Snyder

(rear), and Mr. Jim Younghaus

aerospace.ceas.uc.edu | 14||

Senior Honored with UC’sPresidential Leadership andHerman Schneider Medals ofExcellenceAshley Verho�, an ASE seniorwho graduated in Spring 2009,was one of the three Universityof Cincinnati graduates honoredwith the university’s mostprestigious award for academicexcellence, leadership, character,service and dedication to university ideals. Verho� has alsobeen named the College of Engineering Herman SchneiderMedalist in recognition of her cooperative educationachievements.

She was Assistant Lead for this year’s “Battle of the Rockets”team, which won �rst place in the precision altitudecompetition. She was also vice president of the UC chapterof the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics(AIAA), and was treasurer of the Ohio Beta Chapter ofTau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. Verho� creditsher hometown family values for her academic success.“Although neither my mother nor my father attendedcollege, this does not exclude them from being the mostimportant role models in my life,” she says. “�ey havenever allowed me to forget the in�nite opportunities thateducation can o�er and they continue to provide constantencouragement of my passions.”

Sophia Mitchell, $80,000Cincinnatus Scholarship RecipientTen incoming freshmen, including Aerospace Engineeringstudent Sophia Mitchell, are recipients of the full, four-year$80,000 Cincinnatus scholarship, an award that coverstuition, room and board, books and fees.

Sophia Mitchell, Louisville, Ky. – �e 18-year-oldgraduate of duPont Manual Magnet High School ismajoring in aerospace engineering and is joining theCollege of Engineering and Applied Science’s ACCENDprogram, an accelerated five-year engineering programin which students earn their bachelor and master’sdegrees. She is joining the University Honors Programfor academically talented students. She follows a familyof Bearcats including her mother, who attended theCollege of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning(DAAP), and her father, who earned undergraduate andgraduate degrees from UC before going to law school.

Her maternal grandparents are also graduates of UC.Mitchell was president of her high school’s Women inScience and Engineering program and was captain ofthe Science Olympiad Team. She was a two-time winnerat the Intel International Science and EngineeringFair. Her other activities include a love of flying (sheholds a student pilot’s license), diving (she competedin national, state and regional springboard divingcompetitions) and music (piano and guitar). Mitchellis also a graduate of the National Outdoor LeadershipSchool in Mountaineering. She previously earned collegecredit in physics at the University of Louisville, whereshe also held a three-year internship as a researcher inthe astrophysics department.Mitchell’s service activitiesincluded work with anorganization that providedhorseback riding therapyto special needs children.She also worked with fifth-grade girls to encourage theirinterest in math and sciencefields. She says UC’s co-op program, the diverse studentbody and the beautiful campus helped her commit topursuing her college education at UC.

Deans Award - Robert Charvat�e Dean’s Award is given annually to a senior engineeringstudent who has exhibited distinctive qualities of leadershipand rendered outstanding service to the College. �is year’swinner is Robert Charvat, senior in the Department ofAerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.

GE has also �gured prominently in Rob’s academic life. Inhis co-op quarters he has tested jet engines at the PeeblesTest Center, initiated cost savings measures, and completedtwo major projects with GE. More recently, Rob has workedon research with several UC faculty; projects includeeverything from space robotics to combustion systems.He is currently working with Dr. Kelly Cohen to developalgorithms that will optimize the resources used to �ghtforest �res. Rob notes that last year inCalifornia alone, 500,000 acres weredestroyed by �re.

He credits his “amazing parents” andthe many other people who haveassisted him along the way for hissuccess. Following graduation, Rob willcontinue in UC’s Master’s program inAerospace Engineering.

S T U D E N T N E W S


Sydney Barker, Scholar-Athlete,Wins Best Poster at the 2010Ohio Space Grant ConsortiumSymposium

Sydney Barker a pre-juniorin Aerospace and a memberof the Emerging EthnicEngineers Program earnedaward for the best posterfor the STEM presentationsat the April 2010 OhioSpace Grant ConsortiumSymposium in Cleveland,Ohio. �e Ohio Space

Grant Consortium sponsors the annual STEM (ScienceTechnology Engineering and Mathematics) symposium.

�e participating schools were Ohio State, Universityof Cincinnati, University of Akron, Ohio University,Cleveland State University, University of Dayton, WrightState, Ohio Northern University, University of Toledo,Central State University, Miami University, CedarvilleUniversity, Air Force Institute of Technology, andWilberforce University.

Sydney was selected as Scholar-Athlete of the Month inSeptember 2010. She is a mid�elder and captain of thewomen’s soccer team.

�e NASA Academy at the JohnGlenn Research Center, Summer2009by Adam Miller (ASE ‘11)

�e summer of 2009, I was privileged to participate inthe NASA Academy at the John Glenn Research Centerin Cleveland. �e one word I would use to describe myexperience - intense.

During my time in Cleveland, I worked with Dr. Geo�reyLandis recording and analyzing solar power data from theMars rovers to study the e�ect of Martian dust storms onsolar power arrays and power sustainability.

�e NASA Academy was truly an amazing experience.While this program requires a signi�cant personalcommitment, unlike more conventional co-ops, it gives aunique, in-depth look at NASA and its workings. I cannotthank the Ohio Space Consortium enough for sponsoring

me and providing needed funds for our group project.Additionally, I appreciate the support from the Universityof Cincinnati and my professors for helping me takeadvantage of this unique opportunity.

Aerospace Student Awarded “BestProject” in Summer REU ProgramOn August 13, 2009, Mr. CodyLafountain received the “BestProject” from summer ResearchExperience for Undergraduates(REU) program. Mr. Lafountain, asenior in Aerospace Engineering,and his winning project“Development of an Airfoil DesignTool for Morphing Aircra�” wasguided by his faculty mentor Dr.Kelly Cohen.

Student NewsKrista Kirievich, a junior undergraduate student wasawarded the AIAA Foundation Leatrice Gregory PendrayScholarship worth $2000. (2010-2011)

Chris Porter, Junior, earned a NASA Scholarship valued at$15,000 per year for two years. (March 2009)

Chelsea Sabo, a PhD student won the Open TopicGraduate Award worth $5000. Chelsea has also been giventhe opportunity to present her award-winning research,mentored by Dr. Kelly Cohen, at an AIAA Conference.(2010-2011)ASE graduate students Chelsea Sabo, Nicholas Hanlon,and Kris Korte won the prestigious NSF GK-12 ProjectSTEP Fellowship for 2009-2011. �ese awards are worth atotal of $150,000.

�e winners of the 34th Dayton-Cincinnati AerospaceSciences Symposium Technical Presentation Competitionare:Marshall Galbraith, a PhD student, won the 2010 BestTech presentation award for his Flow Control, Multi-Row,“Micro-Ramp Actuators for Shock Wave Boundary-LayerInteraction Control” research.Daniel Cuppoletti, a PhD student, won the 2010 Best Techpresentation award for his Combustion and Fuels, “High-Frequency Combustion Instabilities with Radial V-GutterFlame Holders” research.


UC Aerospace StudentsBring Home 1st, 2nd, &

3rd Placefrom Intercollegiate Competitions

UC SEDS Team WinsBattle of the RocketsCompetition2009 marked the �rst year for a newstudent group, the UC Students for theExploration and Development of Space(SEDS). Formed by three seniors,UC SEDS is a local chapter of aninternational organization dedicated

to the explorationof space. �egroup sponsorsparticipation of thespacecra� designtrack class in adesign-build-�ycompetition.

UC SEDSsponsored UC

RockCats to compete in the �rst everPraxis, Inc. Battle of the Rockets 2009.�is intercollegiate rocket competition

required entrants to design and �ya rocket and Mars lander cra�. �eprecision altitude competition requiredteams to deliver the lander to 1,200 feetand provide for the stable and uprightdescent of the lander and rocket.

Dr. Grant Scha�ner served asadvisor for UC’s RockCats team. Dr.Scha�ner possessed a rare insightinto engineering talents, projectmanagement, and demonstrated anauthentic desire to guide the studentsinto becoming talented engineers.�e art of interacting with one’s peers,especially under con�ict, was a tenetDr. Scha�ner seamlessly wove intolectures on more traditional aerospacesciences.

�e e�orts of the UC RockCats werewell rewarded with the title of 2009Battle of the Rockets Champion. �eUC RockCats’s spacecra� submissionachieved an altitude of 1,207 feet. �ey

were 99.5% accurate to their targetaltitude, far above the 80% of thesecond place team. �e team henceestablished a strong precedent for AsEunderclassmen to excel in future spacescience design- build-�y competitions.

�e team members were:Ryan Noble (Team Lead), ZacharyKier (Assistant Team Lead), AshleyVerho� (Assistant Team Lead), AdamClark, Melissa Scha�er, Scott Mindel,Isaac Ozinga, Rachel Edgerly, and AlexHandley

Hellcats Place 2nd inSAE 2010 Aero DesignEast Competition�e University of Cincinnati competedin the annual SAE Aero Design Eastcompetition, held last spring in FortWorth, Texas. �e competition goals

S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T

17 | University of Cincinnati, College of Engineering and Applied Science|

for the Regular class were to designand construct a radio controlledaircra� to carry maximum payloadgiven design constraints of a speci�edengine size and an combined totallength, width, and height of 200inches.

More than 60 teams, from the UnitedStates, Brazil, Canada, Poland, PuertoRico, and India competed in three sizeclasses. �e Hellcats placed 2nd behinda Brazilian team among 45 teams inthe Regular class, ahead of all otherUnited States teams including thewinner of the SAE Aero Design Westcompetition. �eir design consisted ofa high-mono-wing aircra� weighing inat just over eight pounds. Increasing

payload oversix roundsof �ights,the Hellcatswere ableto carry amaximumof 29.23pounds,

more than 350% of the aircra� weight,leading to a total combined scoreof 236.1376, just 1.2426 behind thewinning team. �e teams would liketo thank their pilot Santiago Panzardiand their advisor John Livingston, fortheir guidance and support throughthe complex process involved in acompetition at such a high level.

�e Hellcats team included: Dilip

Ghimire, CodyLafountain (teamleader), Matt Finke,Danielle Grage,Joel Ruschman,Bhupatindra Malla,Alex Koporc, PabloMora Sanchez,Brandon Handy,Clayton Ross,Charles Njoka, andPrakhar Aghamkar.

AerocatsAmassAnother WinAerospace Senior Aircra� DesignTeam, the Aerocats, took 3rd placeat the 2009 SAE Aero-design Eastcompetition in the regular class (ElliottGreen Award) April 2009. Brazilianteams took 1st and 2nd place. Mr. JohnLivingston was the team advisor andDr. Santiago Panzardi was the teampilot

�e 2009 Society of AutomotiveEngineering Aero Design Competitionrequired students to design, buildand �y a remote controlled aircra�.Criteria for winningincluded the team’sdesign report, oralpresentation, and�ight scores basedon the payloadweight of the aircra�.

Out of a total of 43 teams from sevendi�erent countries, the University ofCincinnati Aerocats took 3rd placeoverall in the competition losing onlyto two Brazilian teams, making theAerocats national champions!!

�e Aerocats also won the NASASystems Engineering Award thatrecognizes the team’s success inapplying the systems engineeringprocess to the SAE Aero Design.

�e team members were: AshtinDragoo (Team Lead), Kevin Hendricks(Team Lead), Kris Aber (Team Lead),Steve Gobrogge, Daniel Galbraith,

William VonHagen, RyanKlenke, Steve Williamson,Jason Nimersheim, KyleSeger, and Mark Stecher.

aerospace.ceas.uc.edu | 18|

University of CincinnatiCollege of Engineering and Applied ScienceSchool of Aerospace SystemsP.O. Box 210070Cincinnati, OH 45221-0070

Kathleen Atkins, BS ASE ‘90, was elected to the AIAABoard of Directors as Director - Technical, AerospaceDesign, and Structures Group

Jessica (Steinberger) Brueggeman, ASE ‘08, beganworking at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NMin January 2009 as the Senior Space Intelligence Analystsupporting Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles andDirected Energy Directorates. She married Michael ScottBrueggeman on March 7, 2009 and they are expectingtheir �rst child in December 2010.

Matt Goettke and Carolyn (Eglet) Goettke, both ‘08 ASEgraduates, had a baby boy, Joey on May 24, 2009.

Jordan Lindsey, BS ASE ‘04, is now in the ExtravehicularActivity (EVA) Branch in Houston, Texas, where he trainsastronauts to perform space walks.

Isaac Ozinga, BS ASE ‘09, currently works at NASA’sJohnson Space Center in Houston, TX recently shareda spectacular picture of the STS-128mission launch. According to Isaac, “Youcan clearly see the shockwaves coming outof the exhaust of all three main enginesthat is normally not visible during thedaytime launches.”

Ralph Spitzen, ASE ‘74, had this photo taken (March2009) a�er four days on the Greenlandic icecap on theirway back to civilization witha brief stop in a small village(Population of 50 people and onlyaccessible by dogsled, boat orfoot). Ralph is on the le� and hisson-in-law is on the right.

A L U M N I N E W S

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