Grad Profiles - University of Texas Aerospace Engineering

Overview
The University of Texas at Austin was formally opened in 1883. The College of Engineering was established in 1894 and has earned a position of importance among the major universities of the country. The University of Texas System, with campuses located around the state, has an enrollment of approximately 85,000. Academic programs cover many fields, including engineering, law, business, and liberal arts. The University is organized on an academic year consisting of two 16-week semesters and a 12-week summer session.

The University of Texas at Austin has approximately 50,000 students on campus. Total graduate student enrollment is about 12,500; graduate enrollment in engineering is approximately 1,850, with 150 in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics programs. Every region of the United States and many other countries are represented in the student body.

The Location and Community
The population of Austin, the capital of Texas, and the surrounding metropolitan area is approximately 1 million. A wide spectrum of cultural and entertainment activities is available in both the University and city communities. The Colorado River has been dammed to form the chain of Highland Lakes, two of which are located partially within the city limits. Because of the lakes and the pleasant climate, water-oriented activities such as waterskiing, sailing, fishing, and swimming are easily accessible, and many outdoor sports may be enjoyed the year round. The cities of Dallas and Houston are approximately 4 hours by car from Austin, and excellent air service to the major cities of the United States is available.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics offers advanced study and research leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. (Major areas of study are shown on the reverse side of this page.) The normal prerequisite for graduate study is a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field of engineering. However, for those with degrees in science or mathematics, graduate study in orbital mechanics, computational mechanics, computational and applied mathematics, and theoretical mechanics is possible.

The M.S. degree programs are available with three options: 30 semester hours, including 6 credit hours for a thesis; 33 semester hours, including 3 credit hours for a report; or 36 semester hours of course work. In all options, students are required to take 6 hours of supporting course work outside the major. Students receiving financial aid are expected to choose the thesis option. The M.S. degree can be completed within three semesters and a summer session of full-time study.

Students seeking a Ph.D. degree are expected to take at least 24 semester hours of course work beyond the M.S. degree, although no specific courses are required. To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D., students must pass both written and oral examinations covering technical material relevant to their major area of study. Separate regulations apply to the Computational and Applied Mathematics (CAM) program.

Facilities & Resources
Computational facilities available to graduate students include the Academic Center Workstation Laboratory, the TICAM Distributed Computing Laboratory, the Data Visualization Laboratory, and the High-Performance Computing Facility. These facilities include high-performance computer graphics and engineering workstations. Parallel processing efforts are supported through clusters of workstations connected via high speed fiber-optic networks and scalable parallel multicomputers. Internet access and World Wide Web publishing are also provided.

There are extensive experimental laboratories for Texas at Austin engineering students. These include supersonic and subsonic wind tunnels, an extensive modern laboratory for mechanics of solids and materials, structural dynamics test facilities, and a composite materials fabrication and test laboratory. The major research laboratories are the Center for Space Research; Texas Institute of Computational and Applied Mathematics; Center for Aeromechanics Research; Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory; Structural Dynamics Laboratory; Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory; Composite Materials Laboratory; Center for Research in the Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Materials; and Flow Imaging Laboratory.

Expenses and Aid
For 9 semester hours, Texas residents paid an estimated $2340 per semester in tuition and fees in 2004-05, while nonresidents paid $4300 per semester. Nonresident students holding a half-time assistantship automatically qualify for resident tuition. Tuition is subject to change without notice.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid is available to students in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. In 2004-05, fellowships provided stipends between $2000 and $15,000 per calendar year. Assistantships require the recipient to work approximately 20 hours per week. Research assistantships usually involve programs that satisfy thesis or dissertation needs and often do not delay the degree. In 2004-05, stipends ranged upward from $16,200 plus tuition and fees for half-time appointments. With the exception of part-time students, all students are required to take a minimum of 9 course hours per semester. A number of CAM fellowships at $25,000 per calendar year are available for U.S. citizens.

Housing/Living Expenses:
University dormitories and apartments are available at reasonable rates. For reservations, students should contact the Division of Housing and Food Service. Off-campus housing is available in Austin, and a shuttle bus system serves areas densely populated by students.

How to Apply
Application forms for admission and financial aid can be obtained online at the Web site listed below, from the graduate coordinator in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, or from the graduate adviser in computational and applied mathematics.

Students seeking financial aid must submit their material by January 15 for the summer and fall semesters and by October 1 for the spring semester. Applications will be accepted after these dates on a space available basis.

Who to Contact
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Aerospace Engineering
and Engineering Mechanics
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712-1085

512-471-7595

E-mail: ase.grad@mail.ae.utexas.edu

Graduate Adviser
Computational and Applied Mathematics Program
Taylor Hall 2.312
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712

512-471-7386

Graduate Programs Faculty and Research

• M. Akella. Nonlinear dynamical systems, robust adaptive control, estimation theory.

• I. M. Babu[hacek s]ka. Computational mechanics and applied mathematics.

• E. B. Becker. Finite-element methods in solid and fluid mechanics.

• J. K. Bennighof. Computation in structural dynamics, control of flexible structures.

• R. H. Bishop. Guidance, navigation, and control.

• S. Buckley. Satellite applications, remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar interferometry.

• G. F. Carey. Finite elements, computational fluid mechanics, transport phenomena.

• N. T. Clemens. Compressible/reacting turbulent flows, laser diagnostics.

• C. N. Dawson. Computational mathematics, modeling of surface and subsurface flows.

• L. F. Demkowicz. Computational mechanics and applied mathematics.

• D. S. Dolling. Unsteady flows, shock/boundary-layer interactions, hypersonic flows.

• W. T. Fowler. Flight testing, orbital mechanics, spacecraft/mission design.

• D. B. Goldstein. Computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, turbulence.

• L. J. Hayes. Finite-element methods in heat transfer and biomedical applications.

• R. Huang. Mechanics and materials in small dimensions, elasticity, plasticity, fracture, creep.

• T. Hughes. Mechanics and computation.

• D. G. Hull. Flight mechanics, optimization, trajectory optimization, guidance.

• S. Kyriakides. Stability of solids, structures, and materials; plasticity, composite materials.

• K. M. Liechti. Composite materials, fracture mechanics, adhesive bonding.

• E. G. Lightsey. Vehicle dynamics, attitude determination, intelligent sensors.

• H. M. Mark. Engineering science, spacecraft design, transport physics, astrophysics.

• M. E. Mear. Solid mechanics, plasticity.

• C. Ocampo. Astrodynamics, celestial mechanics, trajectory optimization, nonlinear dynamics, numerical methods.

• J. T. Oden. Finite-element methods in solid and fluid mechanics.

• L. L. Raja. Plasma, phenomena, reactive flows and spacecraft electric propulsion.

• K. Ravi-Chandar. Solid mechanics, dynamic fracture, polymers, ceramics and composites.

• G. J. Rodin. Solid mechanics, fracture of materials.

• B. E. Schutz. Orbital mechanics, dynamics, satellite geodesy, numerical methods.

• R. O. Stearman. Aeroelasticity, structural dynamics, experimental mechanics, safety and reliability.

• B. D. Tapley. Satellite applications, geodesy, optimal estimation and control.

• P. L. Varghese. High-temperature gasdynamics, nonequilibrium flows, laser diagnostics of combustion and plasmas, laser sensors.

• M. F. Wheeler. Fluid mechanics, numerical analysis.

RESEARCH AREAS

• Aerothermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics. Research projects are both computational and experimental in nature and cover a broad spectrum of problems in the thermal fluid sciences. Current computational projects include 3-D Navier-Stokes calculations of flow around aircraft using hybrid grids, study of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), control of algorithms and data structures for efficient computation on massively parallel computers, unsteady hypersonic cavity flows, direct numerical simulation of turbulent boundary layers, rarefied gas flow on the moon and the Jovian moon Io, flows with thermal and chemical nonequilibrium, glow discharge phenomena, and spacecraft electric propulsion. Experimental projects include the study of shock-boundary layer interactions, cavity flows, projectile aerodynamics, development and application of laser-based diagnostics for high-speed flows, combustion, and plasmas. Experimental facilities include a Mach 5 and 2 supersonic wind tunnel, low-gravity drop tower jet, and turbulent flame facilities laser-based sensors laboratories.

• Computational and Applied Mathematics. The department is directly involved with the interdisciplinary CAM program. Graduate students in the program are expected to develop proficiency in applicable mathematics, numerical analysis, and mathematical modeling. Current research topics include adaptive finite and boundary element methods, error estimation, large-scale parallel computing, modeling of semiconductors, computational fluid mechanics, structural acoustics, electromagnetics, parallel data structures, simulation of microstructure of composite materials, surface water flow and transport, environmental modeling and remediation, flows in permeable media.

• Engineering Mechanics. Engineering mechanics is concerned with the development of a fundamental framework for analyzing and predicting the behavior of a wide variety of engineered systems. Graduate study and research is directed primarily toward the areas of mechanics of solids, structures and materials, fluid mechanics, and computational mechanics. Research areas include fracture mechanics; mechanics of offshore structures; mechanics of electronic materials; stability at the structural and material levels; micromechanics of composites, ceramics, ice, and polymers; flow through porous media; computational fluid dynamics; wave propagation; and plasticity.

• Guidance, Navigation, Control, and Flight Mechanics. This area involves study and research in system theory, control theory, estimation theory, and optimal control theory and their applications to guidance, navigation, control, and flight mechanics associated with aircraft and spacecraft. Current research topics include adaptive Kalman filtering and data fusion, spacecraft navigation and rendezvous, guidance of maneuverable reentry vehicles, control of high-performance, unmanned air vehicles, biologically inspired intelligent systems, and numerical methods for solving optimization problems.

• Mechanics of Solids, Structures, and Materials. This program transcends the aerospace and mechanics branches of the department. Emphasis is on investigation of problems that require fundamental understanding of mechanical behavior of solids and materials. Research is approached through detailed mathematical analysis, numerical techniques, and careful examination. Current investigations include fracture mechanics, behavior of composite structures, and structural stability. Applications come from the aerospace, automotive, and offshore industries. Research on the mechanical behavior of materials deals with the development of models for their constitutive behavior and failure mechanisms. The materials covered include polymer matrix/fiber composites, ceramic and metal matrix particulate composites, solid propellants, cellular materials, shape memory alloys, elastomers, ice, and others. The majority of these investigations involve a combination of experimental, analytical, and numerical work. Laboratories equipped with modern testing facilities are one of the strengths of the group.

• Satellite Applications. This broad research program addresses a variety of satellites, satellite sensors, and ground-tracking networks. Research is conducted in the earth, ocean, and space sciences; oceanography; meteorology; geodesy; gravity field modeling; atmospheric modeling; and data processing techniques. Heavy emphasis is placed on satellite remote sensing, gravity field determination, and multisensor integration. Satellite altimetry, scatterometer, radiometer, and laser ranging data are being processed and analyzed. Analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) data is being conducted for centimeter accuracy positioning as well as other applications such as kinematic positioning and attitude determination. Processing algorithms are being developed for interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and its application to earth surface deformation phenomena. Pattern recognition, image enhancement, and other advanced graphics techniques are being used in the earth and ocean research efforts. Data analysis techniques are being developed to study tectonic plate motion, regional subsidence, the earth's rotation, and polar motion. Research is also being conducted on uses of the Hubble Space Telescope.

• Spacecraft/Mission Design and Planning. This program includes research in all aspects of spacecraft and space mission planning and design. Research efforts address spacecraft systems, characteristics, attitude dynamics, guidance, control, communications, sensors, propulsion, consumables, life support, radiation shielding, mission requirements, and trajectory design and analysis. Space station, lunar, and martian missions are being investigated. Improved mission processes are also being studied. Current projects are supported by the NASA Johnson Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Current research focuses on Mars mission planning, precision landing, and the uses of low thrust propulsion to support planetary exploration.

• Structural Dynamics, Aeroelasticity, and Wave Propagation. This area includes analytical, computational, and experimental research on a range of topics, including modeling, identification, and control of flexible structures; multilevel adaptive computational structural dynamics algorithms; aeroelasticity; reliability; wave propagation; and flexible multibody dynamics. Well-equipped laboratories support experimental programs in aeroelasticity and structural dynamics, and a computer lab supports research in parallel processing for structural dynamics applications.