MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department
enews Vol 4, #3
December 2007

In this issue:

1. Honors and Recognition
2. Comings and Goings
3. Obituary - Dr. Akiva Yaglom, 86
4. NASA Student Research, Scholarship Applications Available
5. Aero-Astro Student Art Rep Sought
6. LAI Offering New E-News
7. New on the AA Web

1. HONORS AND RECOGNITION

The Federal Aviation Administration has selected Aeronautics and Astronautics Department Professor Ian A. Waitz as the recipient of its 2007 Excellence in Aviation Research Award. FAA Office of Research and Technology Development acting director Barry Scott wrote, "The evaluation panel and senior FAA officials unanimously selected Dr. Waitz for an individual award because of his ongoing, critical research on aviation's impact on the environment." Prof. Waitz directs the Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction research collaborative, headquartered in Aero-Astro. The lead investigator for a number of its research projects, he is particularly involved in developing the Aviation Environmental Portfolio Management Tool, a comprehensive software tools suite that will allow for thorough assessment of aviation environmental impacts. The Excellence in Aviation Research Award is presented to individuals whose research contributions result in a significantly safer, more efficient national airspace system.

2. COMINGS AND GOINGS

Peggy Bryan, research fiscal officer for SSL, SPL, and Systems, resigned her position in Aero-Astro to take a position with Urban Studies and Planning. Her replacement is BrÍan O’Conaill, former administrative assistant to BrÍan Williams, Nick Roy, Raul Radovitzky, and Nancy Leveson. BrÍan brings many excellent skills to the research administrative team and we welcome him to his new role.

Susan Parker has taken a position in the Research Lab for Electronics.

Lauren Gallant reports that to address several issues in research administration in the department, we are changing our historical arrangement of assigning laboratories and PIs to specific research fiscal officers. Ping Lee and BrÍan O’Conaill will work as a team for all PIs and Labs in Aero-Astro.

Welcome to Brightin Schlumpf, the new office assistant in Student Services. Brightin will be assisting Beth Marois with her myriad tasks.

3. OBITUARY - DR. AKIVA YAGLOM, 86

The MIT community was saddened to learn of the December 13 death of Aero-Astro Research Associate Dr. Akiva Yaglom, 86, following a brief illness. Dr. Yaglom was born in 1921 in Kharkov, Ukraine, moving to Moscow in 1926 where he lived until he came to the US in 1992. He received a Doctor of Science degree - the highest scientific degree in the USSR - in 1955 for work on theories of stochastic processes and their application to turbulence theory. In 1988 he received the American Physical Society's Otto Laporte Award for "the fundamental contribution to the statistical theory of turbulence and the study of its underlying mathematical structure." Dr. Yaglom came to MIT in 1992. The European Geosciences Union was to have presented its Lewis Fry Richardson Medal to Dr. Yaglom next spring in Vienna. He was also to have presented a "medal lecture" describing his work. The Richardson medal "honors outstanding scientists whose work is related to nonlinear geosciences.” Dr.Yaglom authored six books including the two-volume set “Statistical Fluid Mechanics,” published by MIT Press. He is survived by his wife and two children.

4. NASA STUDENT RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Professor Larry Young has notified us about a couple of internship/scholarship opportunities of interest, which are currently accepting applications:

NASA's Undergraduate Student Research Program is accepting applications for 10-week summer 2008 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA's centers, laboratories, and test facilities. Applicants must be U.S. citizens; college sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and have majors or course work concentration in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or physical or life sciences. Application deadline for the summer 2008 session is January 31, 2008.

The Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology Project, funded by NASA, awards scholarships and internships to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also known as STEM fields. The MUST Project is open to all undergraduate students and is particularly focused on engaging students from underserved and underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields. Each year, the MUST Project supports approximately 100 undergraduate students with a one-year competitive scholarship of up to one-half of tuition, not to exceed $10,000. Students who maintain the required minimum grade point average will be eligible for a paid internship at a NASA center or other research facility. Additionally, students will benefit year-round from tutoring, lecture series and mentoring from STEM faculty and peers. The application period closes on Feb. 1, 2008.

5. AERO-ASTRO STUDENT ART REP SOUGHT

Tarick T. Walton, a student worker in the MIT Office of the Arts has sent us an invitation to appoint an Aero-Astro Department arts rep. He writes:

With an new initiative to promote art throughout the campus, the MIT Arts Office has developed a policy to have an art representative within each MIT department. More than 80 percent of campus departments are now participating. Our aim this year is to have every department become a part of our program. The role of an art rep is to promote art. This is done through informing students about upcoming arts events on campus. The art rep will receive weekly emails about events and he/she may promote these events via postings, forwarding the emails and also through conversations. Though the role of the art rep is simple, there are lots of benefits. From time to time, the art rep will be given sample music, video and literature to share with the department. Another benefit is that each art rep will be invited to a free dinner every semester where he/she may meet other art reps. Students interested in becoming the Aero-Astro art rep should email Bill Litant wlitant@mit.edu. In the email, include a paragraph about why you would like to volunteer for this position.

6. LAI OFFERING NEW E-NEWS

The Lean Advancement Initiative (formerly Lean Aerospace Initiative) is publishing a new email newsletter and invites all to subscribe. If you'd like to be placed on the LAI enewsetter distribution mailing list, send an email to Juliet Perdichizzi julietp@mit.edu, LAI operations manager, and she will be pleased to sign you up.

7. NEW ON THE AA WEB

Both the new Aero-Astro Strategic Report and the Department's Annual Report to the MIT President are available as .pdf downloads on the About page of the Aero-Astro Web site. Our Future, Strategic Report 2007 offers a foundation and roadmap for the future of the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. Hard copies of the plan are also available by emailing wlitant@mit.edu. The Annual Aero-Astro report to the MIT president includes information on research, student demographics, award winners, and more.

We're in the process of creating a new Aero-Astro energy and environmental initiatives area on the Department site. The area will include articles and links to research and other activities related to alternative, sustainable, and innovative new energy sources, as well as activities that benefit the environment. The first article to be posted examines research by the Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction into alternative fuels for aircraft. When other articles are created, a special home page for Aero-Astro energy and environment will be added. If you are aware of research and other activities that would be appropriate for this section, please email Bill Litant wlitant@mit.edu.

If you know of events, honors, activities, or other information you'd like to see in the next issue of Aero-Astro enews, please send to wlitant@mit.edu - we'd be pleased to include it!