UAH – News
The 15th Annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium, a student poster competition, attracted students from around the world.
Courtesy of Dave Cook
University students from across the United States and the world participated in the recent 15th annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium (VBS) hosted by the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) on October 26-28.
“The VBS Poster Contest is now in its fourth year open to academic research by students from any university,” says Dave Cook, director of student research at UAH, which is part of the University of Alabama system.
“As a result, we received 96 students not only from hryvnia, but also from the whole country and abroad. We were very happy about the opportunity for our undergraduate and graduate students to meet students from other universities,” he says. “UAH students took two places in the finals and all the contestants did a great job representing their universities.”
The poster session is an opportunity for graduate students and undergraduates to present research projects relevant to the aerospace industry, such as atmospheric science, Earth observation, space life sciences, space health, aerospace systems design and development, astrophysics, space weather, optics, economics, business, politics, sustainable development, history, international relations, education, STEM advocacy initiatives and related fields.
“You could really feel the energy and enthusiasm in the room,” Cook says.
“Students had the opportunity to explain their research to a panel of judges made up of members of the American Astronomical Society (AAS),” he says. “Additionally, we were able to successfully utilize a new judging application created by UAH undergraduate and MSc computer science graduate Nick West, bringing the bench session into the electronic age.”
Student poster participants were also able to join the VBS symposium sessions and networking events, making the symposium a valuable opportunity for aspiring scientists to improve their communication skills and interact with top aerospace professionals.
Once again this year, the AAS is offering an opportunity for one poster competition finalist to present their research at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Baku, Azerbaijan. October 2-6, 2023 Poster competition finalists can apply to the IAC, and from those selected, the AAS will select one student to receive registration, airfare, and lodging for the conference.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for one of the poster finalists to participate in the world’s largest gathering of aerospace-related experts and present their research,” says Cook. — We thank AAS for the fact that UAH has this opportunity, and I would also like to thank UAH teachers and researchers who work with our students and encourage them to participate in similar events.
This year’s poster finalists were:
Physical and Liberal Sciences/Graduate Studies
First place
Takuto Hayashi
University of Tsukuba, Japan
“Moon gravity prevents skeletal muscle atrophy but not muscle fiber type transition”
Second place is not awarded.
Physical and Liberal Sciences/Undergraduate Division
First place
Tais Arslanbekov
University of Alabama at Huntsville
“Electrical and thermochemical analysis of the combustion mechanism of polyvinyl alcohol and hydroxylammonium nitrate”
Second place
Carol Mitchell
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach
“Evaluation of Dose-Dependent Endocrine and Immune Responses to Simulated Ionizing Radiation”
Engineering / Graduate Department
First place
Fereshte Rajabi Kuchi
Boise State University
“Additive manufacturing of colloidal nanocrystalline inks for space manufacturing of advanced sensors and energy harvesters”
Second place
Samantha Rawlins
University of Alabama at Huntsville
“Optimizing Nuclear Heat Engine Testing Through Reliability Oriented Design”
Engineering Department/Undergraduate Department
First place
Aryan Vaghmode
Johns Hopkins University
“Development of radioprotective biocoatings by metal doping of melanin nanoparticles”
Second place
Rodrigo Romero
Iowa State University
“TALIN: A multi-surface anchor mechanism for extrajudicial activities and robotic research”