presents the
AIAA Young Professionals, Students, and Educators (YPSE) Conference
Announcements
Announcement (11/25/2024): YPSE 2024 has concluded! Check back for more details on YPSE 2025!
When:
November 22nd 2024
Where:
Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd, Laurel, MD 20723
We are looking for 15 minute technical presentations in any area of interest to the aerospace community by young professionals (age 35 and under), graduate, undergraduate, high school students, and educators. Topics can be technical in nature or focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Within the DEI track, we are looking for presenters who want to share their story and speak on topics including but not limited to improving DEI in Aerospace, dealing with imposter syndrome/burnout, authenticity, empowerment and outreach, intersectionality etc. We know this is a broad track; we want you all to have the freedom to speak on anything you are passionate about within DEI.
The titles for the winning technical presentations from past years can be found in the Past Conferences tab. Technical presentations will be scored on various criteria including ability to convey impact of work, demonstrate knowledge of the technical area, methodologies, communication, and more. Awards (Certificate and $200 Gift Card) will be given to exceptional presentations in the various categories listed above.
For questions, contact aiaa.midatlantic+YPSE@gmail.com.
We need volunteers to serve as judges and session chairs. Those interested in volunteering should email aiaa.midatlantic+YPSE@gmail.com for more information.
Important Dates:
Early Bird Registration Closes: October 18th, 2024
Presenter Registration Closes (abstracts due): October 25th, 2024
Presenter Full Presentations Due: November 8th, 2024
Attendee Registration Closes: November 15th, 2024 Email: aiaa.midatlantic@gmail.com to register
Conference Dates: November 22nd, 2024
Agenda for YPSE:
Technical Keynote: Dr. Nicola “Nicky” Fox
SMD AA Keynote Presentation: NASA’s Vision for Powerful Science
Nicola "Nicky" Fox earned a B.S. Physics and Ph.D. Space & Atmospheric Physics from Imperial College London and an M.S. in Telematics and Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey.
At Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, she served as Chief Scientist for heliophysics, Deputy Project Scientist for the Van Allen Probes, and Project Scientist for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. Now, as NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, she oversees nearly 100 missions focused on Earth and space science, supporting a diverse team of scientists and engineers nationwide.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Keynote: Dr. Alice Cocoros
DEI Keynote Presentation: The State of DEIA in Aerospace and What We Can Do to Move the Mark
Dr. Alice Cocoros is a Senior Professional Staff member at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in the Space Exploration Sector, specializing in instrument systems engineering. She leads the Lidar Sensor team for NASA’s Dragonfly mission and previously served as the Payload Systems Lead for NASA's Interstellar Probe mission concept study. She also supervises the Algorithms and Machine Learning section and chairs the SES Diversity Advisory Team. Dr. Cocoros holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from Johns Hopkins and a B.A. in Astrophysics from Williams College. She is active in DEIA efforts and has earned multiple prestigious fellowships, including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship, and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
Technical Panel: The Importance of National Security Space for the United States
Dr. Patrick Binning, Mission Area Executive for National Security Space at JHU/APL
Scott C. Minas, Senior General Physical Scientist, Air Force Research Lab
Ralph S. Siegrist, Primary Investigator for Multi-domain Space Operations at JHU/APL
Panelist Full Biographies:
Dr. Patrick W. Binning is the mission area executive for National Security Space at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). In this role, he is responsible for APL programs that focus on space solutions to meet critical national security challenges. He holds doctorate and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder as well as a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati. In 2017, he earned a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in National and International Security Program. Dr. Binning is a recognized domain expert and presents regularly at national and international space and missile defense symposiums and conferences. He also serves as the program chair of the Space Systems Engineering Program in the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where he co-developed and co-instructs the Applications of Space Systems Engineering course.
Scott C. Minas is a Senior General Physical Scientist at Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He is the Principal Investigator for the Satellite Navigation Technical Area, responsible for the technical oversight of four, large research efforts including Lightweight SatNav; Rapid Observe, Orient, Decide, Act /Machine Learning for agile/robust Position, Navigation, and Timing; science experiments on Navigation Technical Satellite-3, and On-Demand PNT. Mr. Minas is a former Air Force Squadron Commander and Command Pilot with over 4000 hours in the MH-53M and HH-60G aircraft. He entered the Air Force via ROTC from the University of Connecticut in 1997, and is a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Weapons School. While a member of the New Mexico Air National Guard, Mr. Minas attended the University of New Mexico, where he earned a Master of Science in Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering in 2017.
Ralph S. Siegrist is the Program Manager for Cygnus, an Army Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) initiative at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where he has also managed the Army TWI program for the past fifteen years. With thirty-five years of experience in Systems Engineering, C2 operations, and human-system integration, he specializes in leading multi-disciplinary teams to develop, test, and deploy defense and civilian systems. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in New York. His expertise spans major DoD systems such as JTIDS, THAAD, Liberty, and Cygnus, alongside civilian projects with AmEx, FedEx, and BC/BS.
Dragonfly is a NASA New Frontiers mission that aims to assess the surface composition and prebiotic chemistry of Saturn’s moon Titan in the mid-2030s using an autonomous relocatable rotorcraft lander. Titan’s low gravity (approximately 1/7 Earth’s) and dense atmosphere (approximately four times Earth’s) reduce the power required for heavier-than-air flight by an order of magnitude or more relative to Earth. The rotorcraft, targeted to arrive at Titan in 2034, will fly to dozens of promising locations on the moon, with the goal of determining how far prebiotic chemistry has progressed on Titan and what molecules and elements might be available for such chemistry. Ultimately, Dragonfly's traverse target is the 80 km diameter Selk Crater, seeking to find previously liquid water that has mixed with surface organics. Dragonfly marks the first time NASA will fly a vehicle for science on another planetary body.
Featuring: Dragonfly Flight Demonstration
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Maps and Hotel Information
If you are joining us from out of town, the AIAA Region 1 Mid-Atlantic Section recommends the Residence Inn Fulton at Maple Lawn.
Kossiakoff Center
Residence Inn