Baltimore Section

AIAA Region I, YPSE-07



YPSE-07, the AIAA Region I Young Professional Student and Education Conference, was held on Friday, November 2, 2007 at the Kossiakoff Center at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland.

Opening the conference was the YPSE-07 Honorary Chair, Dr. Mark J. Lewis, Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Lewis serves as chief scientific advisor to the Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force, and provides assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the Air Force mission. He is also the long-serving AIAA Region I Deputy Director of Education.

Lewis spoke about the Future Aerospace Challenges for the Air Force. He noted that the Air Force is the single biggest consumer of fuel in the U.S. government; thus, controlling fuel costs is a key challenge. He also provided a look back at the roots of providing an outside perspective to the Air Force, as the Chief Scientist does today. Dr. Lewis noted that in 1944 the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, Hap Arnold, directed his scientific advisor, Dr. Theodore von Kármán, to gather a team of leading scientists to predict future key science and technology developments. This exercise was remarkably prescient in anticipating developments in such areas as high speed aerodynamics, ramjets, solid and liquid fuel rockets, guided missiles, and more.

Dr. Mark Lewis, Honorary Chair

Dr. Harley Thronson, the Keynote Speaker, spoke at mid-day. Dr. Thronson is the Associate Director for Advanced Concepts and Planning at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

With his talk, the perspective shifted from the earth-bound Air Force to the outer reaches of the universe. He identified four "grand quests" that all require very large optical systems operated off of the confines of Earth, and spoke about the use of the Ares V vehicle to launch these future astronomical missions. He postulated on different configurations for the Orion/Crew Exploration Vehicle system, including one augmented to achieve multiple goals in free space, useful for such future missions as SAFIR.

Dr. Harley Thronson, Keynote Speaker

Augmented Orion/Crew Exploration Vehicle concept http://futureinspaceoperations.com/LASAM_Stack.4k.jpg>



Over thirty Technical Session Presentations were made, and more than 25 Undergraduate and Graduate students vied for top prize in their category, a student copy of Mathematica software, donated by Wolfram Research. Student Presentation Winners were:

GRADUATE STUDENT WINNERS:

FIRST: (Tie)

Nicholas Rosenfeld (University of Maryland) for "Linear Time-Periodic Structural Stability of Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles"

Kunal Kothari, Ramachandran Radhakrishnan (University of Maryland) for "Consolidation of Gamma Titanium Aluminides for High Temperature Structural Applications" (Advisor Norman Wereley)

THIRD:

Edward (Ted) Bubert, Benjamin K. S. Woods, Curt Kothera (University of Maryland) for "Design and Fabrication of a Passive High-Strain Morphing Aircraft Skin" (Advisor Norman Wereley)



UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT WINNERS:

FIRST:

Patrick Conrad (Cornell University) for "Guidance, Navigation, and Control Architecture for CUSat Nanosatellite Formation"

SECOND:

Michael Gentry (University of Maryland) for "Effects of Braid Angle on Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Actuator Performance" (Advisor Norman Wereley)

THIRD:

Ryan J. Murphy (University of Maryland) for "A Method for the Extraction of Insect Free-Flight Kinematics" (Advisor J. Sean Humbert)



Nicholas Rosenfeld (University of Maryland) is presented with First Place (tie) in the Graduate Presentation category by Region I Director Tom Milnes

Dr. Mason Peck congratulates Patrick Conrad (Cornell University) as First Place winner in the Undergraduate Presentation category

Region I Director Tom Milnes talks to Emily Springer, Region I Liaison.

Baltimore Section Treasurer Victor Lougheed and Chair Surya Raghu

A few of the Technical Presentation sessions:

Geoff Slipher

Michael Norman

LaVida Cooper

Hong Kang

A number of recruiters staffed tables, hoping to catch the interest of the many Young Engineers and college students attending. These recruiters included:

Begun in 2003 by Dr. Marvine Hamner, this conference has evolved into a more diverse event. It is unique within the Institute in specifically targeting the technical accomplishments of Young Professionals and highlighting the next generation of Aerospace Leadership, and those that are educating them, from Kindergarten to Graduate School and onto Professional Careers. In recognition of the Inaugural YPSE Conference in 2006 the host AIAA Baltimore Section received the Outstanding Section Event Award for Large Sections for 2006 - 2007. Shown are Surya Raghu and Carolyn Slivinski receiving this award from Region I Director Tom Milnes. Not shown is Pramud Rawat, Conference Chair of YPSE 06.

Generous sponsorship was provided by :

and



Additional key sponsorship was provided by Wolfram Research, who provided the software to the Undergraduate and Graduate student prize winners.



Some of our many Judges, who were generous with their time and effort in order to ensure that the student presentations had a fair and complete evaluation:

Judging Chair Dr. Marvine Hamner

Judges - Jim Lesikar, Larry Strawser, Emine Celik

Judges - Norman Wereley, Bryan Burrows-McElwain, Chris Hartman

Judges Emine Celik, Jim Lesikar, Ben Prats





Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks are extended to the many individuals who made this conference possible. They are: Dr. Surya Raghu, Technical Chair; Chuck Divine, Webmaster; Dr. Robin Vaughan, Logistics Chair; Victor Lougheed, Conference Treasurer; Dr. Marvine Hamner, Judging Chair; Emily Springer, Region I Liaison; the many Judges of the student competition; and Prof. Scott Foerster and his students at Howard Community College for logistical and photographic support. Additional photography provided by Surya Raghu, Chuck Divine, Carolyn Slivinski, and Tyra Rivkin. The continuing support of YPSE by Jon Malay of Lockheed Martin Corporation is also greatly appreciated.

Lastly, thanks go to our Region I Director, Tom Milnes, for his unflagging efforts on behalf of this conference and its goals of supporting the many missions of AIAA.



~ Carolyn Slivinski, YPSE-07 Conference General Chair



Links:

Full list of Technical and Student Presentations: http://www.aiaa-baltimore.org/YPSE-07/Presentation.xls

Additional Conference photos: www.aiaa-baltimore.org/photos/2007/YPSE

YPSE-06: A list of paper titles from 2006 may be found here. Photos and a brief account are also available.