Due to their first-place rankings at this year’s Region IV AIAA Student Conference, three Texas A&M aerospace engineering student representatives will be competing for the International Championship in aerospace engineering technical papers in Orlando, FL in January 2008. Three additional student papers placed 2nd and 3rd in their respective competition categories.

The 2008 AIAA Region IV Student Paper Conference was held on 18-19 April, and hosted by the University of Arkansas Student Branch and the Houston Section. A total of 82 students and faculty advisors from University of Arkansas, University of New Mexico, Louisiana State University, Rice University, University of Texas-Arlington, Texas A&M University - Commerce, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, and Texas A&M University - College Station attended.

The First Place students in the Graduate Technical Division, the Undergraduate Technical Division, and the Team Design Division will compete in the National Student Paper Competition at the 2009 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Conference in Orlando, FL.

Conference attendees were treated to a tours of NASA Johnson Space Center, and a Young Professional Seminar was also held so that student attendees could interface with young aerospace professionals and garner career advice.

The students and faculty from Texas A&M University who attended the conference wish to express their appreciation for the generous support provided by the Houston Section.

The following are the results from the competition:

A. Freshman/Sophomore History Category (single entry)

1st Place: Grant Atkinson, Texas A&M University
“Gemini Applications: the Promise of the Gusmobile”
Advisor: Dr. John Valasek

Grant Atkinson

B. Team Design Division (12 teams competing)

1st Place: Kristen Holmstrom, A. Bolon, J. Nguyen, R. Palacios,
A. Soto and B. Spratlen, Texas A&M University
“Cooperative Transportation of a Flexible Object Towards
Construction of a Martian Habitat”
Advisors: Dr. John Hurtado, Magda Lagoudas, and Lesley Weitz

2nd Place: Louisiana State University

3rd Place: Louisiana State University

C. Undergraduate Technical Division (5 competitors)

1st Place: Alex Bayeh, Texas A&M University
“Analysis of Mach Disks From an Underexpanded Nozzle
Using Experimental and Computational Methods”
Advisor: Dr. Adonios Karpetis

Alex Bayeh

2nd Place: University of Texas - Arlington

3rd Place: Clark Moody, Texas A&M University
“Neural Network Approximation of Doublet Panel Analysis Code”
Advisor: Dr. John Valasek

D. Graduate Technical Division (7 competitors)

1st Place: Kenton Kirkpatrick, Texas A&M University
“Reinforcement Learning for Active Length Control of Shape
Memory Alloys”
Advisor: Dr. John Valasek

Kenton Kirkpatrick

2nd Place: Shane Schouten, Texas A&M University
“Flight-Test Measurement of the Canard Wake on a Velocity
XL-5 RG”
Advisor: Dr. William Saric

3rd Place: Shalom Johnson, Texas A&M University
“Rotating Stall Suppression Test Rig Using Oscillatory Blowing \
Actuation on Blades ”
Advisors: Dr. Othon Rediniotis and Dr. Paul Cizmas