“I’m studying the environmental impacts of aviation and how projected increases in operations impact CO2 emissions, local air quality, and population exposure to significant noise around airports.”
“I’m interested in creating a sustainable space colony and how to construct it. Where do you put it? How do you get people and supplies there and make it a society that’s not dependent on resupply? I’ve come to the nasty realization that it’s going to be hard to accomplish.”
“I like to promote failure and want to create a safe environment for students to fail where I can help correct their course. You learn the most when you fail. I try to design my classes so it’s okay to fail and then go back and learn from it. Homework should not be a test. It’s an exercise.”
“My melodica has no direct relationship to my academic research. I have an undergraduate degree in music and with my work in aerospace engineering, I pride myself in being well rounded. My first teaching gig right after I graduated was in France. My main instrument is trombone, but it was too expensive to ship, so my partner bought me a melodica. It’s fun to pick up and play.”