Gatens, the director of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Human Exploration and Operations mission directorate at NASA Headquarters, will deliver a talk focused on her career journey and the lessons she has learned along the way. She will also discuss the wide variety of career opportunities and disciplines in the space industry, and the efforts being made by NASA and the ISS to encourage more students from underrepresented groups in STEM to pursue careers in engineering.

As ISS director, Gatens leads strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for the space station program at the agency level, including the use of the station for research and technology demonstrations including to support NASA’s Artemis missions, and activities to secure an ongoing U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by enabling a successful, long-term private sector commercial LEO space economy.

The Women in Engineering Leadership Lecture Series was established earlier this year by Devesh Ranjan, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair, and the Women of Woodruff (WoW), to give members of the Georgia Tech community the opportunity to network with talented female scholars and innovators in the field of engineering. Each semester, the Woodruff School will host talks featuring notable women engineers who are creating a better future for our community — locally, nationally, and globally. Additional speakers for the 2022-23 academic year will be announced in the near future.

Gatens is also an agency senior expert for environmental control and life support (ECLSS) and crew health and performance systems and serves as NASA’s liaison to the ISS National Laboratory. In her 37 years at NASA, she has led the development and management of life support and habitation systems for human spaceflight missions. She has also led agency strategic and budget planning to mature these habitation system technologies needed for future deep space exploration missions, using the ISS as a demonstration testbed. Gatens began her NASA career in 1985 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is the recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership and Exceptional Achievement Medals, and holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech.

American Institute for Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA)

is proud to sponsor a

Career Info Session with Relativity

Come chat with several Ralativity engineers about internships and career opportunities..

Find out more about reume submission at: Tinyurl.com/AIAA-Relativity

"High-Speed Imaging of Unsteady Shock Interactions"

a talk by 
 

Prof. John Schmisseur

Professor of Aerospace Engineering
University of Tennessee @Knoxville
 

Thursday, September 12
3 - 4 PM
Guggenheim 442

About the Talk: 

Shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions are ubiquitous on high-speed vehicles and have thus been a focus of active research for many years. Even the most basic configurations generate such interactions which, uncontrolled, can lead to high thermal and acoustic loads, and potentially vehicle failure.  Interactions in laminar and turbulent boundary layers have been studied extensively over the past several decades, with many review articles published, however, investigations of interactions in transitional boundary layers have been sparse in the existing literature.  Understanding the dynamic behavior of such interactions is critically important for the development of high-speed weapons and projectiles since for such smaller bodies it is anticipated that a much higher percentage of the vehicle boundary layer will be in a transitional state.

Recent research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute has focused on the use of high frame rate optical diagnostic techniques for the characterization of the evolving interaction structure and dynamics as the incoming boundary layer varies from laminar to transitional and turbulent states.  During this seminar, Dr. John Schmisseur will discuss the development of experimental facilities and high-speed imaging systems used in the study of shock/boundary layer interactions occurring in transitional boundary layers and provide an overview of the current understanding of transitional interactions.

About the Speaker: 

Dr. John D. Schmisseur joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee Knoxville Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering on August 1, 2014.  He teaches and leads research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

Prior to joining the faculty, John was the Chief of the Energy, Power & Propulsion Sciences Division and Program Manager for Aerothermodynamics within the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).  During his tenure at AFOSR, John initiated and led a national strategic research plan which has guided the research efforts of multiple federal agencies and championed the transition of basic research capabilities that have advanced flagship national hypersonics technology programs and transformed test and evaluation capabilities.   He envisioned the HIFiRE program which unified the efforts of AFRL, NASA and the Australian DSTO to advance fundamental hypersonic science and technology via flight research.  He is active within the professional community including having served as Chair of the AIAA Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee and a NATO Science and Technology Organisation working group.   Dr. Schmisseur earned his B.S. (90) and M.S. (92) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. (97) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University.  He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (2012) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (2013) and is the 2008 recipient of the Air Force Science and Engineering Award in Research Management. 

is proud to present

“Why Do We Look Up at the Heavens?”

a talk by

Br. Guy Consolmagno

Director of the Vatican Observatory, Rome

About this talk
Why did we go to the Moon? Why does the Vatican support an astronomical observatory? These questions mask a deeper question: why do individuals choose to spend their lives in pursuit of pure knowledge? The motivation behind our choices, both as individuals and as a society, controls the sorts of science that gets done. It determines the kinds of answers that are found to be satisfying. And ultimately, it affects the way in which we think of ourselves.

About the speaker
Guy Consolmagno, SJ is a brother in the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), working since 1993 as an astronomer and meteorite specialist at the Specola Vaticana (Vatican Observatory), located in the Papal summer gardens outside Rome. Since 2014 he has been president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, which supports the work of the Observatory and especially its 1.8 meter Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) in Arizona. In September of 2015 he was named Director of the Vatican Observatory by Pope Francis.

Consolmagno's research explores connections between meteorites, asteroids, and the evolution of small solar system bodies. Along with more than 200 scientific publications, he is the author of a number of popular books, including: Turn Left at Orion (with Dan Davis), and most recently, Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? (with Fr. Paul Mueller, S.J.). He also has hosted science programs for BBC Radio 4, has been interviewed in numerous documentary films, and writes a monthly science column for the British Catholic magazine, The Tablet.

A native of Detroit, MI, Consolmagno earned two degrees from MIT and a doctorate in planetary sciences from the University of Arizona, was a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard and MIT, served in the US Peace Corps (Kenya), and taught university physics at Lafayette College before entering the Jesuits in 1989. He has served as chair of the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences (AAS/DPS) and on the planetary surfaces nomenclature committee of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Asteroid “4597 Consolmagno” was named in recognition of his work. In 2014 he won the Carl Sagan Med al for public outreach by the AAS/DPS.

Automation has contributed to sharply increased productivity in virtually all industrial processes, first in developed countries, but now in places with low labor costs as well. What has industrial automation brought society, and where is it going? This talk reviews past expectations of automation, what has flourished and what has fizzled, and what was totally unexpected. Thoughts on the future are offered, amid the backdrop of pervasive computing and communication resources, a rapidly increasing middle class, the skills gap for advanced manufacturing, a heightened interest in sustainability, and the sharing economy.

Thursday, April 24, 2014 - 4:30-8:30pm

McCamish Pavilion

Seniors from eight Schools at the Georgia Institute of Technology work in teams to develop various prototypes for real world applications. Both industry and campus created projects are showcased at the biannual end of semester Capstone Design Expo. This semester, over 225 teams will be competing for thousands of dollars in prize money, including People's Choice, Best in Discipline, Best Interdisciplinary, and Best Overall. Agenda is as follows:

4:30 p.m. Open to public
6:00 p.m. Judging to commence
7:30 p.m. Judging completed
7:45 p.m. Presentation of winners

For more information, visit the Capstone website.

This year’s lecture will be given by:

Deborah Kilpatrick, Ph.D. (MSME '94, PhDME '96)

Chief Commercial Officer - CardioDx, Inc.

Deborah Kilpatrick, Ph.D., is the chief commercial officer of genomic diagnostics company CardioDx, in Palo Alto, CA, with responsibilities for all product sales and marketing. Prior to joining CardioDx in 2006, Deborah held various roles within Guidant Corporation prior to its acquisition by Abbott, including Research Fellow, Director of R&D, and Director of New Ventures. Early in her career, Deborah was a structural engineer at Pratt and Whitney on the F22 Raptor program before undertaking her doctoral thesis research at Georgia Tech in vascular biomechanics and atherosclerosis.

She currently serves on the Advisory Boards for Georgia Tech as well as the College of Engineering, she is on the Board of Directors for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, and she is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. In 2013, Deborah was named to the FierceBiotech list of the Top Women in Biotech while also receiving a Stevie Award in NYC for Female Executive of Year in new consumer products. Most recently, the Silicon Valley Business Journal named Deborah to their 2014 list of 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley. She holds multiple U.S. patents for medical devices and received her B. Engineering Science and Mechanics and both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech.

Confessions of a Medtech Engineer:
How I Learned to Love Marketing in Silicon Valley

When one engineer talks to another about transitioning out of R&D into more commercial roles, references are very often made to their having “gone to the dark side.” In fact, there are even websites and blogs entirely devoted to guiding engineers through the dark valley of marketing, and not surprisingly, they are full of references to Star Wars. Yet when you look up “engineer” on www.merriam-webster.com, one of the definitions found refers to “a person who carries through an enterprise by skillful or artful contrivance.” One might argue that the latter part of the definition sounds remarkably similar to product marketing!

In any given company, R&D innovation can yield the greatest product in the world, and yet it will rapidly become the greatest product never used if there is not a smart plan to commercialize it. This harsh-but-true reality has never been more evident than in the case of new products and technologies in the U.S. healthcare sector today. Commercialization approaches for medtech products are now being reinvented at every turn, as driven by the merging of drugs, biologics and devices, market demands for improved efficiencies and better economics, and a renewed focus on quality—all taking place in an increasingly digital era of big data where patients have never been more empowered. In today’s Silicon Valley medtech world, many engineers find themselves taking a step out of the R&D lab to drive innovation in new product commercialization for domestic and global markets. In other words, engineers are bringing their “skillful and artful” approaches to directly impact how some of the most cutting-edge medtech products are moving from bench to bedside in the healthcare marketplace. This lecture will discuss some of the speaker’s observations and experiences in both Fortune 500 and startup settings in Silicon Valley to illustrate this trend.

Saturday, March 29, 2014 - 11:00am to 4:00pm

Instructional Center Parking Lot

Motor vehicles of all types owned by students, former students, faculty, staff, alumni, fans, and corporate sponsors will be on display at the Georgia Tech Auto Show. Classic antique cars, late model modified cars, 4×4 off road trucks, hot rods, cars modified with alternative power delivery (electric, fuel cell), daily-driven transportation, kit cars, race cars, concept cars, prototype cars, and all kinds of motorcycles are all encouraged to participate. Automobiles ranging from extremely rare classics in show condition to unfinished student-budget projects are welcome and appreciated. If the owner takes pride in the vehicle, it has a place in this show.

The show is open and free to the public for viewing the cars on display. Children are especially welcome, but please make sure that they are well supervised so that they do not touch any vehicle without the owner’s permission

At the Expo, seniors from the Engineering Schools of ME, BME, ECE, and ISyE along with Industrial Design at Georgia Tech will showcase their innovative projects designed and built during their Senior Capstone Design course. A quick preview of the projects is available here: expo.gatech.edu. 

Schedule of Events:
5:30PM     Expo OPEN FOR ALL - students, faculty, staff, general public
6:00PM     Judging begins
8:00PM     Awards & Prizes
8:30PM     Expo concludes

This semester, there are nearly 200 teams participating from 11 schools, including Aerospace Engineering, Architecture, Biomedical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Industrial Design, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Sciences Engineering, Nuclear & Radiological Engineering, and Public Policy.

Parking information can be found here:
http://www.capstone.gatech.edu/?page_id=2236

The purpose of our Thermal Science Seminar Series is to allow for a welcoming and engaging environment in which graduate students can learn and stay informed of the latest ground breaking thermal research happening at Georgia Tech. We give students the chance to display and demonstrate their research in a friendly environment. During the Spring 2017 semester, these seminars are generally held on the third Wednesday of every month from 4:30 PM—5:30 PM; day, time and room is subject to change based on availability. Everyone is encouraged to join us at Rocky Mountain Pizza after each seminar from 6:00PM—7:00PM to network, enjoy pizza and engage in thermal discussions!

ABSTRACT

"Reversed Heat Flux Study of Impinging-Jet Water Cooling for Helium-Cooled Finger-Type Divertors" Experimental evaluation of the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of helium-cooled divertor concepts is important in developing commercial magnetic fusion energy (MFE). Achieving prototypical steady-state incident heat fluxes of 10 MW/m2 in a lab-scale remains a major challenge. As an alternative to heating the test section, this work presents an initial assessment of a “reversed heat flux approach”, pioneered by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), that cools the test modules (instead of heating them) with water to determine the heat transfer coefficients (HTC).

The objectives of this design study are to:  1) determine whether such a reversed heat flux approach can be used to experimentally study the thermal-hydraulic performance of helium-cooled divertor concepts, and 2) determine the design and operational parameters for a small-scale submerged water jet impingement cooling facility suitable for validating these numerical predictions. Numerical simulations were performed suggesting that a submerged single-phase impinging water jet at (300 K, 1 MPa) and  = 3.5 kg/s can remove heat fluxes as great as 7.5 MW/m2 over a 2 cm diameter area and a water cooling facility to accompany the current GT helium loop was designed based on these predictions.

"Landing SpaceX's Reusable Rockets"

a talk by

Lars Blackmore

Friday, September 2 at 11 a.m.

SpaceX's reusable rocket program aims to reduce the cost of space travel by making rockets that can land, refuel and refly, instead of being thrown away after every flight. Precise landing of a rocket is a unique problem, which has been likened to balancing a rubber broomstick on your hand in a windstorm. Rockets do not have wings (unlike airplanes) and they cannot rely on a high ballistic coefficient to fly in a straight line (unlike missiles). In the past year, SpaceX has successfully landed five rockets, two of which were on dry land at Cape Canaveral, and three of which were on a floating platform in the Atlantic. This talk will discuss the challenges involved, how these challenges were overcome, and next steps towards rapid reusability.

Prior to his career at Northrop Grumman, Dr. Antonsson served on the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and as the Chief Technologist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Dr. Antonsson earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and a master's and doctorate in mechanical engineering from MIT. He is an ASME Fellow and is currently on the editorial board of the international journal Research in Engineering Design. He has published more than 140 scholarly papers, has edited three books, and holds eight U.S. patents.

Large organizations are frequently criticized for being unable to innovate, in comparison with small and newly formed organizations, especially start-ups. This talk titled "Innovation in Aerospace" will demonstrate that one large, century-old aerospace organization has consistently demonstrated innovations ranging from early flight, to the first rockets and spacecraft, the lunar lander, advanced microelectronics, unmanned air systems, and to the next generation of space telescopes. Both the challenges, and the opportunities for innovation in a large mature organization will be explored.

The Invention Studio invites you for a tour and to share information of the ways in which you and your students can utilize the various resources available within the Studio! We would love showcase the latest improvements and the way in which we operate and also gather your thoughts on how we can continue to support the design-build curriculum. There will refreshments in the form of Sublime Donuts and coffee. All majors and departments are welcome. Details are below:

Where: Invention Studio. Second Floor of the MRDC (near MRDC 2103)
When: 11:00 AM, Thursday, March 6th, 2014

RSVP via email to secretary@inventionstudio.org

Continental breakfast starts at 8:15 a.m., symposium to follow at 9:15 a.m.

Support for the lecture is made possible by the generosity of the late George W. Woodruff, an alumnus and influential Atlanta businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist. In September 1985, at the age of 90, Mr. Woodruff attended the ceremonies to rename the School of Mechanical Engineering in his honor.

This year’s lecture will be given by:

Dr. James Truchard

Cofounder, president, and CEO of National Instruments

Since Dr. James Truchard founded National Instruments (NI) in 1976, NI has worked to equip engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation, and discovery. Prior to founding National Instruments, Dr. Truchard worked as the director of the Acoustical Measurements Division at the University of Texas Applied Research Laboratory. Dr. Truchard wanted to create a place to work that was fun and provided strong career paths for employees. As he often remarks, he “didn’t see a job I wanted [in Austin], so I created one!” Truchard and his management team have created an award-winning corporate culture that has been recognized as one of the top 25 "World's Best Multinational Workplaces" by the Great Place to Work Institute. James Truchard earned a B.S. and an M.S. in physics, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Mechanical Engineering - Leading the Way to Intelligent System Design

Today’s mechanical engineers are leaders in the design and development of intelligent systems. They have significant expertise in multi-disciplinary design and instrumentation as well as mechanical, thermal, fluidic, and biological systems. Mechanical engineers often team up with software designers, FPGA designers, analog and digital designers in order to bring an embedded product to market.

Any technology that can reduce or eliminate the need for these additional embedded system design resources will speed time to market and reduce development costs. In this talk, Dr. Truchard will discuss key technical challenges in the area of intelligent systems design. He will then describe how the integration of software and hardware technologies into a unified and open embedded system development platform will help to remove hurdles between simulation, prototyping, and deployment of intelligent systems. With this technical approach, mechanical engineers can continue their leadership and foster innovation for future systems.

This SES Technical Meeting:

• aims to attract the leading researchers in all engineering and science disciplines, and mathematics
• is recognized as the leading forums for bringing together diverse, interdisciplinary groups of researchers to discuss advances in highly focused symposia

Georgia Tech is the host of the 2012 Society of Engineering Science (SES) 49th Annual Technical Meeting. Founded in 1885, the Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's top research universities, distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. Its campus occupies 400 acres in the heart of the city of Atlanta, where 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive a focused, technologically based education. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Institute offers many nationally recognized, top-ranked programs. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in the Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Management, Sciences, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Year after year, Georgia Tech is consistently the only technological university ranked in U.S. News & World Report's listing of America's top ten public universities. In addition, Georgia Tech's College of Engineering is consistently ranked in the nation's top five by U.S. News. These impressive national rankings reflect the academic prestige long associated with the Georgia Tech curriculum. Over the past decade, overall research expenditures have nearly doubled, increasing 99 percent to $525 million in 2008, while federal research expenditures increased 150 percent. Georgia Tech now ranks among the top 10 in research expenditures among universities without a medical school.

Mechanics of solids and fluids has deep roots at Georgia Tech across the College of Engineering. A team of representatives from the Schools of Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering will be working together to bring you the 2012 Society of Engineering Science (SES) Technical Meeting. 

Vision of SES

• Organization of leading engineers, scientists and mathematicians from around the world
• Focuses upon the interface between engineering, sciences and mathematics
• Maintains an appropriate balance between emerging and established fields
• Essential element of the larger engineering, applied science and applied mathematics communities
• Encourages the active participation of engineers, scientists, and mathematicians and students in all of its activities

Schedule

9:00-10:00am: Sign-In

Pick up Orientation Packets, Advisor Assignments, and Photo Session Sign Up

10:00-11:30am: Welcome

Drs. Paul Neitzel and Wayne Whiteman – Review  procedures for general operating procedures,  registration, and GRA Advisor Assignments.

11:45-12:45pm: Lunch 

1:00-2:00pm: Breakout Sessions

1:00-3:30pm: Photo Sessions

2:00-4:00pm: Registration - Computer Clusters

4:00-6:00pm: MEGA Pub Night

The 2012 lecture to be given by Dr. Amy Alving, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

The 2012 Zeigler Lecture will be given by 2011 Award winner, Dr. Paul Neitzel on "Educating Engineers in the Twenty-First Century - Opportunities and Challenges."

All of your hard work and determination is about to pay off in a Georgia Tech degree. I offer you my heartfelt congratulations, and it will be my honor to shake your hand as you cross the stage to receive the recognition you deserve.

Graduation is a joyous ceremony and a time for family and friends to share in the pride of your accomplishments. Most of the information you will need to prepare for Commencement can be found within this site. If you have any additional questions, please contact Special Events Manager Laura Pusateri, or Events Coordinator Serena Wallace at events@comm.gatech.edu or 404.894.7613.

I look forward to seeing you at Commencement.

Sincerely,

G. P. "Bud" Peterson
President

All of your hard work and determination is about to pay off in a Georgia Tech degree. I offer you my heartfelt congratulations, and it will be my honor to shake your hand as you cross the stage to receive the recognition you deserve.

Graduation is a joyous ceremony and a time for family and friends to share in the pride of your accomplishments. Most of the information you will need to prepare for Commencement can be found within this site. If you have any additional questions, please contact Special Events Manager Laura Pusateri, or Events Coordinator Serena Wallace at events@comm.gatech.edu or 404.894.7613.

I look forward to seeing you at Commencement.

Sincerely,

G. P. "Bud" Peterson
President

"Landing SpaceX's Reusable Rockets"

a talk by

Lars Blackmore

Friday, September 2 at 11 a.m.

SpaceX's reusable rocket program aims to reduce the cost of space travel by making rockets that can land, refuel and refly, instead of being thrown away after every flight. Precise landing of a rocket is a unique problem, which has been likened to balancing a rubber broomstick on your hand in a windstorm. Rockets do not have wings (unlike airplanes) and they cannot rely on a high ballistic coefficient to fly in a straight line (unlike missiles). In the past year, SpaceX has successfully landed five rockets, two of which were on dry land at Cape Canaveral, and three of which were on a floating platform in the Atlantic. This talk will discuss the challenges involved, how these challenges were overcome, and next steps towards rapid reusability.