Tarleton Hosts Hypersonics
The Tarleton State University AIAA student branch hosted Mr. Bob Wetherall, GD/LM Retired, as he presented Hypersonic Programs on Monday, 9 Feb. 2026 at the Dwayne Mayfield Engineering Bldg. in one of their lab rooms with lunch provided for attendees. Bob discussed his 40+ year career, highlighted by his work in hypersonics.
More pictures, newsletters, and events can be found on AIAA North Texas Engage.
Engineers’ Week Events
UTA AIAA Mentorship Workshop
Every Tuesday
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Join UTA’s AIAA Student Branch every Tuesday for their weekly Mentorship Workshop focused on professional growth and career development. Members will learn how to connect with recruiters, improve their LinkedIn profile, network with industry professionals, and strengthen their career readiness through resume reviews and interview preparation. Whether you’re just getting started or refining your path, this workshop is a great place to ask questions, receive feedback, and build confidence.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Events - MavEngage
UT Dallas Interview Workshop
Tuesday, 24 February
SPN 2.220
6-7pm
Join us for our interview workshop! Get the chance to learn tips and tricks from our officers who have successfully landed internships and do a mock interview with feedback provided. We encourage everybody looking for internships or simply want to get some interview practice in to come. You do not have to be a member or even an engineer to participate. This is a continuation of our resume workshop so you are welcome to bring your resume for review as well and to have a bit more specialized interview.
RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gsGdHNYp
Dr. Dustin Otten
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
UTA, SEIR Room 194
6:30pm
FREE meal for students, $10 for non-students with RSVP:
AIAA Speaker Event (02/25/2026) - MavEngage
Engineering Industry Speaker Panel
Collin College
Friday, 27 February 2026
12-3 pm
Collin College Allen Technical Campus
2550 Bending Branch Way, Allen, TX 75013
More Info: Nisrine Jawhari
Southwest Aerospace Symposium
Saturday, 28 March 2026
UT Arlington
SEIR Engineering Bldg., Room 294
0800-1700 hrs.
Registration Now Open!
$15 Full-time Student members (AIAA, VFS, SFTE)
$20 Full-time Student nonmembers
$50 AIAA, SETP, VFS, SFTE Members
$60 Non-Members
Includes sessions, breaks, & luncheon
Keynote
Bob “Farmer” Hines (Colonel, U.S. Air Force), NASA Astronaut
NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Programs
Bob Hines was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. He reported to the Astronaut Office in August 2017. He has served more than 23 years in the United State Air Force (USAF) as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and a test pilot. Before his selection in 2017, he was serving as a Research Pilot at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of flight time in 50 different types of aircraft and has flown 76 combat missions in 3 different aircraft types while supporting contingency operations around the world. Hines served as the pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, which concluded on Oct. 14, 2022. The mission was the first spaceflight for Hines. He has logged 170 days in space, overseeing the arrival of crew and cargo, maintaining the space station, and conducting science experiments of various disciplines.
Schedule
0800 - Check in, Coffee & Refreshments
Morning Sesson
Chair - Kelly Latimer (F), USAF/VG Retired, SETP President
0830 Full Scale Stop-fold System Transition Demonstration on a High-Speed Test Track, Dr. Troy Schank, Bell
0900 Air Tractor 1002, Jim Acree (AF)
0930 UT Dallas AIAA Project Teams, Mi Vo, UTD AIAA Student Chapter President
0945 Coffee Break
1015 Initial MV-75 Handling Qualities Evaluation in Vertical Motion Simulator, Ernie McGuinness (M) and Tom Berger, Bell
1045 High-Altitude Airport Operations (HAAO) certification campaign for the Global 6500 aircraft, Brian Nyaberim AM
1115 VSS Unity Test Program Lessons Learned, Mike Masucci (AF), Virgin Galactic
1145 CIRP: Mental Health Support for Flight Testers, James Sergeant F
1200 Luncheon & Keynote
Bob “Farmer” Hines (Colonel, U.S. Air Force) NASA Astronaut
Afternoon Sesson
Chair - Ryan “Cujo” Blake (AF), Lockheed Martin
1330 We Work for the Robots - Lessons from Autonomy Flight Testing, Kasey Dixon, Lockheed Martin
1400 FAA-Sponsored Flight Test Findings on HQTE for VTOL Aircraft, Marty Shubert (F), Tiltrotor Flight Test Consulting
1430 UT Arlington AIAA & Aero Mavs
1445 Coffee Break
1515 Aerodynamics Research in North Texas at the Dawn of CFD, Dr. Dennis Finley, Lockheed Martin
1545 Strategies for Integrating Complex Aircraft Software Systems: Insights from Software Engineers at Lockheed Martin, Jennifer Klenka & Stephanie Figueroa, Lockheed Martin
1615 Risky Business: These are the Risks you are Looking For, David Hoey SM & Gerardo Sanchez M, 586th Flight Test Squadron, NM
1645 Concluding Remarks
