Two Sandia National Laboratories employees will be joining the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics class of 2024 as associate fellows.
“The AIAA associate fellows personify the innovation that drives our industry forward,” Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director, said in a press release. “They embody the ingenuity and commitment that are crucial for developing solutions to the complex questions raised across the aerospace community.”
That prestigious recognition requires them to be senior members of AAIA with at least 12 years of professional experience and three recommendations from associate fellows.
“This distinguished group of professionals has made significant and lasting contributions to the aerospace profession,” AIAA President and Sandia Deputy Laboratories Director Laura McGill said in a press release. “They exemplify expertise and dedication to excellence in advancing their specific technical disciplines. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace, and we are proud of their achievements.”
The employees are Michael Ross and Brian Freno.
Ross has worked at Sandia National Laboratories for 15 years. He works in structural dynamics with an emphasis on fluid-structure interaction. That means he has worked on a variety of different technologies including satellites, rockets, airplanes and windmills.
“I figure out what the loads are when we put these objects into space or the atmosphere. Is the structure sound? I figure out what it will take to ensure it remains structurally sound and doesn’t fall apart,” he said in the press release.
Meanwhile, Freno has spent eight years of his career at Sandia and specializes in computational physics research. The AIAA recognized him for contributions to the fields of fluid dynamics, ablation and heat transfer, structural dynamics, electromagnetics, reduced-order modeling, code verification, numerical integration and machine learning.
“I am extremely honored because this is a very selective process. I am thankful for those who took the time to put together a nomination package that convinced an anonymous review committee that I was worthy of this honor,” he said.
