On April 2, Texas A&M University hosted some of the nation’s most prestigious engineers and researchers for the National Academy of Engineering’s Regional Meeting and Symposium. The symposium consisted of six sessions, which highlighted multidisciplinary research related to this year’s meeting theme: Space and Time.
“This symposium is another way Texas A&M is leading in space exploration and research,” said Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of engineering and director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. “Our students had the opportunity to showcase their exciting research with colleagues from around the nation. I’m proud of what they’re accomplishing and the role Texas A&M Engineering is playing in advancing space exploration.”
The featured sessions are listed below:
- Measurement of Time -Jeffrey Sherman, NIST
- The Role of Time in Deep Space Navigation -Timothy McElrath, JPL
- Engineering Challenges of Quantum Devices -James Clarke, Intel
- Synthetic Biology and Plants for Food and Medicine in Space -Jennifer Fogarty, TRISH
- Engineering Challenges of Getting To Mars -Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson Space Center
The symposium also featured a Q&A session with bestselling science fiction author Andy Weir (The Martian, Project Hail Mary). The Q&A session was moderated by Dr. Robert Ambrose, a chair professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of Space and Robotics Initiatives for the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
This symposium is another way Texas A&M is leading in space exploration and research.
Dr. George Ligler, professor and Dean’s Excellence Chair in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, was instrumental in putting together the Regional Meeting and Symposium, along with Organizing Committee members Drs. Robert Ambrose, Cynthia Hipwell, Elaine Oran, Frances Ligler, and Ned Thomas. The committee also received support from University Faculty Affairs, notably Dr. N.K. Anand, Christoff Marshall, Michelle Mitchell, Diane Oswald, and their teams.
Dr. Ligler has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) since 2017 and is the past chair of NAE Section 12, Special Fields and Interdisciplinary Engineering. Throughout his career, he has contributed to nine national academy committees (chairing two) in advising the Departments of Treasury, Commerce and Transportation. Currently, he is a member of the Academies’ Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and Division Committee on Engineering and Physical Science.
“It was an honor to host some of the nation’s leading engineers alongside students and faculty,” Ligler said. “As an NAE member, I am excited to see the collaboration of industry professionals and Texas A&M researchers as they pioneer the future of space research.”
Texas A&M students had the opportunity to share their own research with symposium attendees during a poster session. Thirty-three posters were presented during this session, which allowed students to interact with prominent engineers, creating opportunities for networking and potential collaborations.
The top three poster presenters were awarded a monetary prize, as well as a signed copy of Andy Weir’s The Martian. The winners were:
- First Place: Jaybelle Pranada, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “Low-temperature redox-active polymer-based structural battery electrodes for space applications”
- Second Place: Kassem Alolka, a doctoral student in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering. “CO2 Storage in Gulf Coast Saline Aquifers”
- Third Place: Deep Parikh, a doctoral student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. “Non-Gaussian error models for improved ranging”