Community Announcements

Sustainability and Technology Roadmapping

An AIAA Distinguished Speaker Lecture, via Zoom

presented by

Nayan Bohidar

Aurora Flight Sciences Sustainability and Electrification Team Leader

Wednesday, June 19th, 12:00-1:00 PM PDT

Sustainability initiatives have taken the forefront in Aviation, with the goal to reduce the industry’s contribution to climate change through new practices and radical innovation.  This lecture will introduce industry goals and the diverse technologies that will get us there.  A few public initiatives will be discussed, such as highly efficient aircraft designs, and energy-optimized flight operations, with a focus on novel propulsion systems.  Using examples of the speaker’s own 13+ year career in Propulsion R&D, attendees will get an overview of the career opportunities in this field, as well as the holistic approach needed.

Nayanapriya Bohidar leads the Sustainability and Electrification team at Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company.  She is responsible for technology strategy and research & development in propulsion & power systems and integrated vehicle technologies.

Nayan joined Aurora in 2018 where her work has included functional and technical leadership roles and providing critical-path support for several advanced development programs.  She has served as a technical contributor and Aurora team leader for NASA sustainability programs such the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstrator (EPFD), the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) and the ‘Double Bubble’ D8.  She also supported engine integration and preliminary design trades for a novel active flow control application as part of DARPA’s CRANE X-plane program, and she was the mechanical systems lead for the Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV) eVTOL prototype.  Most recently, she is focused on technology road mapping through strategic engineering, systems thinking, and multidisciplinary design optimization.

Prior to joining Aurora, Nayan had nine years of experience in propulsion research & development and on new product development teams.  She holds a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical engineering from Purdue University, as well as in Honors Physics from Delhi University.  She is a senior member of AIAA and has been active in industry forums and conferences as a member of ASME and SWE for over a decade.  She is an advocate of diversity & inclusion and passionate about STEM outreach.

The presentation will be on Wednesday, June 19th, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM PDT via Zoom. The Zoom link for the meeting is below.