A 90-Year Milestone: MSU’s Department of Aerospace Engineering celebrates nearly a century of pioneering education and research

Marvel, the world’s first fully composite aircraft equipped with a turboprop, made its first flight in 1965. It was designed, developed and manufactured at MSU’s Raspet Flight Laboratory.

Contact: Camille Carskadon and Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering is celebrating its 90th anniversary by inviting students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to a landmark event Oct. 4; research and service.

The day begins at 9 a.m. with registration and guided tours of the Bagley College of Engineering, home of the department, and the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, a nationally recognized leader in experimental aeronautical research. The event ends with a roundtable meeting, celebration picnic, evening reception and dinner for graduates. More information and registration at: https://www.ae.msstate.edu/90th.

Nationally recognized for its cutting-edge research in aerodynamics, flight mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, and composite materials and structures, the pioneering department has consistently paved the way for advances in aerospace applications. A multi-building complex located mostly along the university’s “Engineering Row,” it fostered collaboration between faculty and students on groundbreaking projects that address real-world challenges and hands-on experience needed in today’s job market.

Kenneth Withington was the first faculty member and chair of the department, which began as the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at Mississippi State College in 1934.

The Honda MH-02, the world’s first all-composite experimental business jet, was manufactured, assembled and tested at Mississippi State. It made its first flight from Starkville in 1993.

From Past to Present

Founded in 1934 as the Department of Aeronautical Engineering under the leadership of Kenneth Withington, the department began with limited resources; There was no direct funding for laboratories, faculty, or equipment. Now, 90 years later, a National Science Foundation HERD FY22 report shows university aerospace-related research at $18 million.

Today, there are almost 20 full-time faculty positions and numerous graduate research assistants, many of whom have won national and international awards and honors.

“As a fellow MSU aerospace alumnus, I have a long and varied history in this department, from running through the halls of Walker Hall when I was 7 years old to my father, Zahir,” said Rani Sullivan, who has been an aeronautics major at MSU since 2021. As a college student working late into the night in his office, Warsi was just one of many who benefited from a strong tradition of faculty turning classrooms into valuable laboratory research experiences that continues today.”

Robert Green, interim dean of the Bagley College of Engineering, said the department “truly represents Mississippi State’s mission of teaching, research and service.” He noted that the faculty and staff are passionate and dedicated to shaping the next generation of aerospace engineers, while also being “committed to equipping talented minds with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful difference in the world.”

The ASE department awarded its first graduates with diplomas just a year after its establishment. In 1937, it made history by admitting the first female student, Lucretia Davis, to the Faculty of Engineering. Three years later, Cora McDonald became the first female graduate with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering, advancing her career as a ferry pilot during World War II and completing an impressive 44,000 flight hours. The department continued to break new ground by awarding its first master’s and doctoral degrees in 1951 and 1960, respectively.

Throughout its history, the department has established its reputation as a pioneer in aerospace engineering by establishing numerous alliances with public and private sector industries and institutions. These collaborations include the development of the MARVEL XV-11A, the world’s first all-composite aircraft; and in the 1990s collaborated on the Honda MH-02, the world’s first all-composite business jet. Others include the creation of a one-third model, or 50-meter mock-up, of the National Aeronautics and Space Plane, an experimental aircraft designed to explore the full range of flight at hypersonic speed; and the development of an ultralight, long-endurance, optionally piloted aircraft in the 2000s.

One of the most talked about successes came in 1998, when MSU worked with NASA on a space shuttle Discovery reentry simulation that brought former Sen. John Glenn and other astronauts home safely after the steel plate protecting the drag duct during launch became dislodged.

MSU’s High Performance Computing Collaborative, or HPC2, was founded in 1990 as the NSF Engineering Research Center and focuses directly on computational space simulation of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and structural mechanics for aircraft, spacecraft, ships, automobiles, and other applications. More.

Alumni and Partnerships

Currently, the department has a community of over 440 students and a sizeable alumni network of 1,745 living alumni by 2023. These former MSU students can be found in industries around the world, including government, military and private sectors; many of them are making their mark on Fortune 500 companies.

“Our students have gone on to work with world-class faculty, university research centers across the country, federal laboratories, and local and global companies in high-impact research areas. Many continue to work as we remain committed to providing the best program to prepare the engineering workforce of the future,” Sullivan said.

MSU’s own research centers, such as the Raspet Flight Lab, have grown rapidly over the years as another way to prepare ASE graduates for the workforce. Others affiliated with the ASE department are the Magnetohydrodynamic Energy Center, now the Clean Energy Technology Institute, and the NSF Engineering Computational Field Simulation Research Center and Advanced Vehicle Systems Center, now known as the High Performance Computing Collaborative.

“My career began as a research engineer at the MHD Energy Center, which was one of the university’s three largest centers at the time,” Green said. Over the years, their mission and some of their names have changed to meet new needs and demands, and in the process they have demonstrated the ability of Bagley College faculty, staff, and students to adapt quickly. “They continue to serve as a testament to the world-class research that the University and the State of Mississippi can conduct.”

Sullivan echoed Green and added that as the 90th anniversary celebrations come and go, he is confident that aerospace engineering at MSU will continue its impactful work in this fast-paced, technology-filled environment.

“With ongoing research and strong industry partnerships, the department is poised to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s aerospace industry, providing applied learning to current and future students and preparing them for careers in the rapidly evolving aerospace environment.”

MSU’s Department of Aerospace Engineering is online at: www.ae.msstate.edu and open Facebook and Instagram. Bagley College of Engineering is online at: www.bagley.msstate.edu and open Facebook, Twitter, instagram And YouTube @msuengineering.

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