In Brief

3 Reasons Why the Aerospace Department Soared in 2023

Reason #1: No. 1 In Friends of Amateur Rocketry Competition

An undergraduate aerospace engineering team, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, placed first in the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR1025) competition in the Mojave Desert. The team’s rocket reached an altitude of 25,000 feet and flew a payload to 400 feet, beating nine other universities from around the world.

“This most recent win by our Undergraduate Missiles, Ballistics and Rocketry Association (UMBRA)student team is a tribute to the work that the students put into their design and the analysis and fabrication skills that they have learned while studying at CPP,” says Professor Don Edberg from the aerospace engineering department and the team’s advisor.

Reason #2: Aerospace Team Wins Nasa Award for Space Platform Design

A group of Cal Poly Pomona aerospace engineering students at a research conference. In one of NASA’s longest-running higher education competitions, a design proposal for an advanced multi-use platform in space by an undergraduate aerospace engineering team took home the Best in Theme award at the 2023 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition.

The team was among 15 finalists tasked with developing new concepts to improve NASA’s ability to operate on the moon, Mars, and beyond. The team’s design, SciNAP (Science and Network Access Platform), addressed the growing need for services and logistics in cislunar space, the expanse between Earth and the moon. It would operate as an advanced relay station to support persistent in-space communications and science missions prioritized by NASA.

Reason #3: No. 2 in AIAA Space Systems Design Competition

An undergraduate aerospace engineering team finished No. 2 in the 2023 AIAA Space Systems Design Competition. Challenged with proposing a space vehicle design that would land assets and crew down to Mars and then return the crew safely back to orbit, the team competed with more than a dozen universities from around the world. Judges praised the team's easy-to-follow design flow and the systematic approach to presenting their design.

“This remarkable accomplishment speaks volumes about the dedication and hard work put forth by our talented team members, their unwavering commitment to excellence in our design curriculum and the exceptional training they have received from our faculty in the aerospace engineering departments,” says Navid Nakhjiri, associate professor for aerospace engineering and the team’s advisor.

Hard Work The Catalyst For Chem-E Car Student Team First Place Win

This year's Chem-E car team zipped into first place for closest distance (meaning it went the farthest) and second for most creative poster. Hosted by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the team was tasked with building a car roughly the size of a shoebox that must be fueled by a chemical energy source.

"Having not just one, but two runs that would have beaten the winning runs at nationals last year makes it harder to discredit ourselves," says Logan Lu, stopping member of the team. Lu was part of the team that had to develop the mechanisms that would essentially allow the vehicle to brake. "This wasn't just about getting lucky; we genuinely did the work, and it turned out really well."

Mechanical Engineering Team Earns No. 3 Best Research Paper Award in International Conference

A group of Cal Poly Pomona mechanical engineering students at a research conference. A mechanical engineering team of undergraduate and graduate students and Associate Professor Reza Baghaei Lakeh authored a research paper titled “Lab-scale Demonstration Of Thermal Energy Storage Using Desalination Waste Salt” that earned third place at one of the most prestigious technical conferences in the area of thermal-fluid science: the 8th American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE) Conference. (Learn more about this work on page 14!)

Sponsored by Southern California Gas Company’s Climate Champion’s Grant and Veterans to Energy Careers, the award-winning project is an energy storage system that repurposes by-product of desalination and geothermal process to store thermal energy for future use.

"To have my efforts acknowledged at an event like ASTFE feels surreal," says Missael Cuevaschavez, mechanical engineering undergraduate student. “Especially if you are a Mexican-born immigrant like me and are coming from a Hispanic-Serving Institution. I believe this experience has helped me realize that it is not just about teamwork and group efforts, it also matters who you have on your team. Luckily, I was with the right people at the right time."

Civil Engineering Team No. 1 in Design-Build Competition For Unprecedented Fifth Year in a Row

"Clinical" may now be the best word to describe civil engineering's performance in the annual Associated Schools of Construction's (ASC) Regions 6 & 7 Student Competition and Construction Management Conference. This marks the fifth year in a row that the civil engineering department won first place in the Design Build competition, a feat that's only been accomplished by Cal Poly Pomona. The largest competition of its kind, students were tasked with winning over fictional clients at fictional construction, design, and architecture firms. Typically, crafting a proposal for a client is a long process, but the competition crunches it down to a 16-hour challenge.

"It will forever be a core memory that I will remember to the end," says Sage Corona ('23, construction management), captain of the ASC preconstruction team. "Being able to say we earned the respect of other schools and showcased our names at the highest of stages is just a dream come true and a storybook ending for our members graduating."

Civil Earns First in CSU Research Competition

A civil engineering team advised by Professor Mónica Palomo placed first in the annual CSU Student Research Competition, besting the 22 other CSUs competing at the event. The team's research aim was to develop a solution to clean the contaminated water in the Puddingstone Reservoir, a 250-acre body of water in Southern California. The team's research was also selected to be presented in the international 2023 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Nevada.

The Master of Minutiae

John Rotunni’s eye for detail is to our great benefit. Rotunni makes sure every word is in its proper place. It’s in his nature to pore over every detail. “I can’t turn off sentence analysis,” he says.

This typically isn’t his job; he’s the college’s state systems analyst. Yet, just before the magazine goes to print, Rotunni gets a copy to show the managing editor how to do his job properly. [Managing editor’s note: I appreciate it, really!] For his care and good work, he’s been named the magazine’s assistant editor.

“I want to give the best impression of the college to our readers,” says Rotunni. We hope, as you come to the end of this issue, we’ve accomplished just that.

A Word from Clark

Clark Rucker

"No matter how many people try to categorize you, put you in a place, tell you what your limits are, you can be whatever you want to be. All you have to do is push yourself and put your mind to it."

Clark Rucker (’83, engineering technology) speaking at the 2023 College Of Engineering commencement as its honorary doctorate.

Rucker served as the director of Phantom Works Quality, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and retired after 33 years with the company. He has been a perennial supporter of the college and its students by playing a key role in directing Boeing’s philanthropic support to Cal Poly Pomona and acting as a mentor for countless students. He serves on the college’s Dean’s Leadership Board.