Congratulations to our student award winners at the 2017 AIAA Region VI Student Conference March 17 -19 in San Jose, California.

A profile of Husky Robotics, a student team involved in the University Rover Challenge, where teams from across the globe design and build remote-controlled space exploration vehicles. In its sixth year at the UW, the Husky Robotics team has turned its attention inward. By focusing on creating a solid foundation, the team hopes to set future generations of UW student roboticists on a path to success.

It is with much sadness that we share the loss of alumna Anita Abrego (BS ’94). Anita passed away on December 27, 2016.

We mourn the passing of Professor Kuen Y. Lin on January 19, 2017. Professor Lin served on the A&A faculty for 33 years as a dedicated professor, mentor and colleague. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University and master’s and doctoral degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, Professor Lin spent six years in industry, working for Deere & Co. and The Boeing Company. Professor Lin was an expert in the areas of composite materials, finite element methods, and fracture mechanics, and co-creator of the Mar-Lin Fracture Model, which is used by the aerospace industry for the damage tolerant design of composite aircraft structures. He also developed a singular hybrid finite element method for the accurate analysis of bi-material fracture problems. His recent research efforts have direct applications to the critical technologies needed in developing the next generation of aerospace vehicles.

Congratulations to alumna Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann (BS '81) who has received the UW College of Engineering Diamond Award for Distinguished Achievement in Industry. In addition to being a record-breaking chief pilot and director of flight training for Boeing, Suzanna was the first woman to serve as a Boeing test pilot, and the first female captain of the 747-400 and 777. We are proud of her accomplishments and of this well-deserved recognition.

Recent A&A graduate Aditi Bhide (MS ‘16) is a part of a UW team of only 30 world-wide finalists selected to compete in a SpaceX sponsored challenge to design and fabricate a Hyperloop pod. Last year, the UW team won the Safety Subsystem Technical Excellence Award and will test their pod at SpaceX this month.

Congratulations to UW A&A doctoral student Gustavo Eidji Camarinha Fujiwara, who has been awarded a UW Graduate School Latino/a Scholars Graduate School Fellowship (LSGSF) for the 2016-17 academic year. Gustavo has been recognized for his academic research, and for service that demonstrates his strong commitment to Latino/a communities.

On sabbatical this year, Professor and Associate Chair for Academics, Kristi Morgansen is working at Blue Origin on Guidance, Navigation and Control for their autonomous rocket systems.

UW engineering students Katherine Chun and Yoel Tekle discuss their student experiences and the impact donors make on their education.

The University of Washington on Friday is launching the public phase of its most ambitious philanthropic campaign in history, with a goal of raising $5 billion by the year 2020. The campaign, called “Be Boundless — For Washington, For the World,” focuses on four key priorities: transforming the student experience, expanding the impact of the UW’s research, empowering possibility through innovation, and driving the public good. The earliest phases of the campaign began in 2010, and the UW has already received more than $3 billion toward its goal.

The Masters of Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Composites concentration curriculum has recently been updated to include two Aerospace Composite Design classes.

AA Professor Adam Bruckner commented on the successful Blue Origin New Shepard rocket in-flight escape test.