Departmental News
03.28.2008
Structures Laboratory acquires a new PolytecTM laser vibrometer system
The Structures Laboratory in 26 Randolph acquired a new PolytecTM laser
vibrometer system, which was awarded ($70k) through the State Council of
Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The laser vibrometer has a
displacement resolution of 2 nanometers and can measure velocity at
frequencies as high as 10 MHz. The sensor will be an invaluable tool for
both research and education in the laboratory. It will be used in all
structural-related research, such as structural health monitoring of
composite structures, vibration analysis, system
characterization/identification (e.g. vibration modal analysis), and
in-the-loop vibration suppression using advanced feedback control
algorithms.
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03.10.2008
Dr. Leigh McCue receives a National Science Foundation (CAREER) award
Dr. Leigh McCue received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award for $410,000. The NSF CAREER program supports the activities of junior faculty with grants integrating research, education, and outreach activities. Dr. McCue's project, entitled "A unified research and outreach program in nonlinear vessel dynamics," aims to develop analytical and computational tools that will help ship designers understand and prevent dangerous vessel phenomena such as capsizing. The fundamental research in her CAREER project is coupled with active outreach to recruit and retain outstanding pre-college and college students into engineering. Dr. McCue's education and outreach goals are closely tied to the VT Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) including incorporating SeaPerch underwater robotics activities into CEED's pre-college initiatives.
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01.08.2008
Dr. Woolsey receives Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award
Dr. Craig Woolsey has been named as a 2008 recipient of the Society of Automotive Engineer's Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. Reflecting the firm belief of its donor that young engineering educators are the most effective link between engineering students and their future careers, the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Fund's major program is focused on younger engineering educators. Its objective is to provide an engineering atmosphere that these teachers can meet and exchange views with practicing engineers. Dr. Woolsey's award will be presented at SAE's 2009 AeroTech Congress & Exhibition. Recent Virginia Tech recipients of the Ralph Teetor Award include Corina Sandu (ME) in 2007 and Stefan Duma (ME) in 2005. Chris Hall, AOE professor and acting department head, received the Ralph Teetor Award in 1997 while serving at the Air Force Institute of Technology.
In 2002, Dr. Woolsey received both the NSF Career Award and the ONR Young Investigator Program Award to support his research and education activities related to nonlinear control of ocean and atmospheric vehicles. He received the Outstanding New Assistant Professor Award from the Dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering in 2003 and was named a Virginia Tech College of Engineering Faculty Fellow. Dr. Woolsey was also chosen as a NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellow in 2004, an honor associated with a project to develop an autonomous exploration concept for Titan. Dr. Woolsey is a Senior Member of AIAA and IEEE and a member of ASEE, IFAC, and SAE.
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01.07.2008
Faculty Position in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
The Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering requests applications for a tenure-track
faculty position in any of the areas relevant to aerospace and ocean engineering.
For more Information, visit:
www.aoe.vt.edu/news/Faculty_Position.pdf
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09.05.2007
AOE welcomes Dr. Cornel Sultan.
AOE is pleased to welcome Cornel Sultan. Assistant Professor Cornel
Sultan is an expert in nonlinear dynamics and control of aerospace
vehicles. Dr. Sultan was previously a Staff Engineer at United
Technologies Research Center.
He has also been Senior Research Engineer
with Scientific Systems Company, and a Research Fellow at Harvard
University Medical School.
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09.05.2007
AOE welcomes Dr. Christopher Roy
AOE is pleased to welcome Christopher Roy. Associate Professor Christopher Roy is an expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics, and
especially in Verification and Validation of numerical codes. Dr. Roy
joins us by way of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Auburn
University. Prior to that position, he was a Senior Member of the
Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories.
Dr. Roy received a
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2006.
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08.23.2007
Avant-Garde Senior Design Team wins first place in the AIAA National Undergraduate Space Transportation Design Competition
VT AIAA would like to recognize the Avant-Garde spacecraft design team for their first place win in the AIAA Undergraduate Space Transportation Design Competition. Tasked with designing a future human mission to Mars, Avant-Garde submitted a 100 page proposal to AIAA outlining a possible mission architecture for the Mars mission. The proposal included the technology, equipment, and resources needed for a launch from the surface of Earth to Mars, an 18 month stay on the Martian surface, and the return home. Team members and Virginia Tech will each receive a certificate of the accomplishment as well as a total prize of $2,500. Recent VT Alumni and team members Brian Carter and Mike Wolfner will present the winning design to the 2007 AIAA Space Conference in Long Beach, CA. The conference is held from September 18 to 20 in the Long Beach Convention Center.
Avant-Garde was one of four senior spacecraft design teams advised by Dr. Kevin Shinpaugh, Director of Cluster and Research Computing at Virginia Tech. Team members included Brian Carter, Nathan Chiappa, Zarrin Chua, Anthony Consumano, Thomas Horn, Jan Kaniewski, Geoff Summers, Gordon Waller, Brian Williams, and Michael Wolfner.
For more information:
(Avant-Garde) Mars Transfer Vehicle Team Space Competition:
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=301">
2007 AIAA Space Conference
http://www.aiaa.org/space2007
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07.18.2007
J. Chris Edelen, AE '89, appointed as NASA Flight Director
NASA has selected four new
flight directors. J. Chris Edelen, David H. Korth, Courtenay R. McMillan
and Emily J. Nelson will join a unique group of individuals that lead human space flights from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
J. Chris Edelen, a VT Hokie, has earned a bachelor's
in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989 and a master's in
physical sciences from the University of Houston in Clear Lake in 1994.
Edelen has 13 years of experience as a Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO)
supporting space shuttle trajectory operations at JSC. He has supported 34
shuttle missions in Mission Control, including ascent, entry, orbit and
rendezvous flight phases. He began his work with NASA as an aerospace
engineer for Rockwell Space Operations, and joined United Space Alliance
(USA) when it formed in 1996. He was hired by NASA in 2003.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
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