Aero Undergrads Sweep AIAA Awards

(L to R, front row) Tom Milnes, Baltimore Chapter President; David Gers, UMCP AIAA Student Chapter President; Jason Leggett (UMCP); Robert Roedt (PSU); Lisa Bacon, AIAA Student Conference Coordinator; (back row) PSU Team

Clark School students swept the undergraduate category of a technical paper competition at the 2008 Region I-MA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Student Conference, held at the Kim Engineering Building earlier this month.

First Place: "Optimal Stochastic Nonlinear Control of Spacecraft Angular Velocity"
Jason Leggett (AE senior) - UMCP, Advisor: Dr. R. Sanner

Second Place: "Effects of Braid Angle on Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Actuator Performance"
Michael Gentry (AE junior) - UMCP, Advisor: Dr. N. Wereley

Third Place: "Development of the Satellite Groundtrack Interactive Display"
Sara Fields (AE senior) - UMCP, Advisor: Dr. L. Healy; on the basis of her paper, Sara was invited to give a presentation at the 14th annual AIAA Improving Space Operations Workshop hosted by NOAA.

The AIAA Student Conference is a technical paper competition for AIAA student members at the undergraduate and graduate levels from regional campuses. Students are invited to submit technical papers and give formal presentations, which are judged for technical content and clarity of communication. Winners are awarded cash prizes and may advance to the AIAA Foundation International Student Conference, typically held the following January at the AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibition Center in Reno, Nev.

Conference co-chairs Bree McNerney and Nate Niles, along with Prof. Alison Flatau, planned the conference.

Published April 23, 2008