Public Event Announcement
Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 18:30 - 19:30 ET
Join Bob Geiger, Mirela Isic, and Mike Majewski of Northrop Grumman to discover how modern aerospace relies on composites—starting with early fabrics to today’s high‑performance materials. We'll trace material evolution and fabrication methods, highlight the specific characteristics, and design tailorability that brought carbon/epoxy materials into service. The session also covers manufacturing—hand lay‑up, vacuum bagging, autoclave, automation, resin infusion, and key secondary processes—plus essential quality‑control practices and a practical introduction to basic laminate theory. Come away with a clear understanding of why composites matter, how they’re built, and how laminate design drives aerospace performance.
o History of Composites in Aerospace
o Manufacturing Processes
o Basic Laminate Design/Theory
Speaker bios
Bob Geiger- For me, everything has always been about airplanes! My father was an Aeronautical Engineer who worked at Boeing during the Apollo program. While most people were looking at the cool rockets being launched from the Cape I was surfing at 2nd Light watching OV-10’s and T-38’s doing Touch and Go’s at Patrick. I was always fascinated by the glide coming into land and the high-power climb outs overhead. The physics of flight always fascinated me, so I attended Auburn University and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Through 37+ years of working in the Aerospace Industry I’ve been able to impact the development of many different aircraft at companies such as Scaled Composites, Toyota Aircraft, and Northrop Grumman.
Mirela Isic- Growing up, I frequently moved, which meant learning new languages. But numbers/math was something I always understood in every language since it's universal. My love for mathematics ultimately led me to earn a mechanical engineering degree from Seattle University. I'm also just one semester away from completing my master’s degree at the Florida Institute of Technology. I started my structural design engineering career at Boeing, where I worked on the 737 MAX, and worked on conceptual designs in the product development organization. After Boeing I transitioned to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, where I had the privilege of working on the X-59, integrating advanced systems, and worked on the oldest flying F-15 (from 1976!!). Today, I continue to pursue my passion as a structural design engineer and lead at Northrop Grumman.
Mike Majewski- I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and I have worked in the Aerospace industry ever since. I have contributed to the development of all shapes and sizes of air vehicles, from small all metal airplanes to large, primarily composite aircraft. I have even spent time working on Jet Engines and Liquid Fueled Rockets. I currently use my talents as an airframe design engineer and lead at Northrop Grumman to design some of the most advanced composite structures in the industry.