Boeing recently announced the winners of the company sponsored 2009 Engineering Student of the Year award presented by the aerospace publication Flight International. Georgia Tech’s Michael Grant, a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering, was one of the two first place winners. The awards ceremony was held in Dubai prior to the Dubai Airshow in November.  The winners received free air travel, hotel accommodations and airshow tickets.

Grants's Research

Grant is researching the design and optimization of space systems for exploration of the planet Mars. Grant received a NASA Special Achievement Award by demonstrating that swarm theory can be used to optimize large complex systems having potentially conflicting multi-objective goals. His work has the potential to improve systems design in all areas of ground, air and space systems. In addition, coming up with ways in which a spacecraft can descend more gently once it bursts into a planet's atmosphere has also been the focus of Grant’s work. Grant hopes to complete his doctorate in 2011 on rapid trajectory optimization and hypersonic aerodynamics and the way they can be applied to the design of slender, high performance entry vehicles.

Engineering Student of the Year Competition

Boeing has partnered with Flight International to host the worldwide Engineering Student of the Year competition since 2005 in an effort to encourage students to pursue careers in aerospace-related engineering fields. The competition is open to any full- or part-time engineering student pursuing a recognized degree. The winning student's work must be judged as likely to impact the future of aerospace engineering in areas such as new or enhanced capabilities, systems, processes or tools; new levels of performance; and improved life cycle costs.