AEM-Newsletter-Spring-2023

DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE
ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS
Department Update - Winter/Spring 2023
Dear Friends,
Welcome to 2023! We hope the new year is starting off well for all of you.
The current academic year has brought both change and
opportunity to the department. Professors Mahesh and Aksaray both left for other academic positions. On the staff side, our long-time department administrator retired, and our senior accountant left for another job in the college. Although it is sad to see friends and colleagues leave, it has been exciting to have new people with new ideas to improve the department. If there is one thing I have learned in my years in academia, it is that change is going to happen (in fact, that’s the whole point of a university), so it is vital to embrace it.
On the research side, it has been exciting to watch Professors Melissa Green and Suraj Ravindran build new experimental facilities for their research. Green is working in both Akerman Hall and the St. Anthony Falls Research Lab (SAFL). Ravindran is developing several facilities in Akerman that can load materials at very high strain rates. Other faculty highlights include Professor Ryan Caverly receiving a NASA Early Career Award. We also showcase Mike Kroells, who is now finishing his Ph.D. work with Professor Tom Schwartzentruber, where he is working on understanding the physics of entry into the Martian atmosphere.
On the teaching front, we kicked off the year with our first ever Undergraduate open house. There was a great turnout and the department is planning to
make it an annual event. Our student groups continue to produce outstanding results with their creativity, entrepreneurship, and outreach. The Rocket Team participated in the 2022 Give to Max Day, reaching their fundraising goal of $5,000, which was then matched by Collins Aerospace.
Finally, we share a story about AEM alumnus, Ethan Och (BAEM ’20), who was featured in a video co-production sponsored by Disability Hub Minnesota, led by Kevin Kling and Beaudry Filmworks. Ethan’s Story has received much attention and others with disabilities who have been seeking career guidance to achieve their own goals continue to reach out to Ethan.
Once more, we want to thank our alumni and friends for your continued support of all we do. We cannot do this without you!
Perry Leo Department Head
What’s Inside...
2 Thank You Donors
3 Department News
6 Alumni Spotlight 8 Faculty Spotlight
10 Student Research
12 Student Teams
14 AEM Undergraduate Scholarship &
Fellowship Recipients
DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS 1
College of Science and Engineering
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics www.cse.umn.edu/aem