ASME Aerospace Early Career Technical Seminar

Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM	Complimentary Welcome Breakfast
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM	AIAA workforce development panel - Building the Aerospace Workforce of Tomorrow In 2008 and 2009, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held two, two day symposiums on Building and Retaining the Aerospace Workforce of Tomorrow. This panel discussion at AeroTech summarizes the challenges identified during those symposia and key approaches proposed to meet those challenges. The session begins with the latest results from the annual AVIATION WEEK workforce survey. That is followed by a summary of key findings from the symposia. Then a panel of young professionals assesses the impact of the challenges and the opportunities to them in their own personal career planning. The session is concluded with a discussion of tools intended to motivate and retain young professionals, especially in aerospace disciplines. Panelists: Klaus Dannenberg, Deputy Executive Director, AIAA Carole Hedden, President, TheWrite Stuff Project Leader, AVIATION WEEK Phil Hattis, Vice President for Public Policy, AIAA Ryan Rudy, Flight Test Engineer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division Dan Rasmus, Director of Business Insights, Microsoft Anita Rebarchak, Manufacturing Engineer, Pratt & Whitney Christopher Dowell, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Ft. Worth, TX
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM	ECTS Official Welcome and Introduction to ASME / SAE
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM	Technical Session: Integrating Systems Engineering Into Aerospace Design Aerospace design has always involved the melding of many complex technologies across multiple engineering disciplines. And as technology advances, managing the design and integration of large and complex aerospace projects becomes even more challenging. For aerospace early career engineers, it’s common to sit back and watch the intricate dance that involves coordination of multiple design teams and the integration of hundreds of systems and subsystems that result in an aerospace vehicle and wonder “How do they do that?” The answer is “Systems Engineering.” Systems Engineering had it’s advent in the 1940’s as it became necessary to manage the complexity of very large engineering projects as a whole, across the vast multi-disciplinary boundaries involved in engineering design. This was especially true in the aerospace and defense industries and systems engineering was quickly adopted and today is an essential part of the aerospace design process. Systems engineering is not just an engineering discipline, it is an approach that begins with defining the customer requirements, developing functional designs that meet the requirements and ensuring the integration and interaction of all systems and subsystems. For many early career engineers, their first exposure to systems engineering is in the workplace. This session, which features engineers experienced in utilizing systems engineering in the design of aerospace systems, will provide early career engineers with an overview of systems engineering and offer practical learning experiences that can be applied on-the-job. Other topics to be discussed include: Integrating customer needs/requirements into the design phase The development phase Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary considerations Managing risk Speaker: Michelle Bailey, Director of Avionics, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Mahantesh Hiremath, Specialty Manager, Space Systems Loral
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM	Round Table Lunch & Q&A Session - sponsored by NGC Frank Flores: VP of Engineering at NGC Aerospace Systems Sector
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Panel: The Operator’s Perspective: Designing for the User Ever purchased a new car and, after driving it for a few days, discovered something really annoying that you never would have found in a test drive, and thought “Who designed this thing?” Or tried to repair something that has a connection that requires three or four very small hands to take apart, and thought the same thing? With our own personal usage, this just borders on annoyance, but in dealing with multi-million dollar aerospace systems, design and maintenance issues can result in expensive delays and more importantly, prevent the user from effectively putting the system into operation. As engineers it’s easy to develop and nurture a design in a CAD system. Designers often focus on delivering a solution that works as advertised and integrates into the overall final product. But while you’re confident your design will do the job, are you thinking of the user? The operators and maintenance personnel assigned to keeping the product running will have to live with your design. Consequently, in all design work you must ask three important user questions: Can the part or system be manufactured? Will the operators be able to use the product effectively? Can maintenance personnel repair the product? “Designing for the User” is an often overlooked aspect of the design process. It’s not something you learn in school. Your technical ability is only one aspect. Knowing and understanding what the customer wants and how the product will be used must be paramount in your design considerations. This session will acquaint early career engineers with key considerations for “Designing for the User” through real-world experiences from operators of commercial and military aerospace systems. Topics covered will include: Reliability Maintainability Safety and Survivability Quality Assurance This seminar will provide you with an opportunity to learn from the experts so that when you’re back on the job and have completed your design work, you can answer the above three questions in the affirmative. In the end you’re better equipped to perform your tasks and most important, your company will have a satisfied customer. Speakers: Bonita Preston, Reliability Discipline, Lead Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Russ Blum, Head Product Design, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control-Dallas Andrew Sachs, Manager, Safety Investigations, Alaska Airlines
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM	Coffee Break
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM	Technical Session: Design, the Integration of Everything This session will explore design technique. Design is responsible for integrating expectations of the user; systems, producibility, maintainability requirements; cost and schedule limitations; and the laws of nature, into a useful product design which satisfies all customers in the value stream. How is this accomplished? It requires teamwork, either formally or informally. A successful design depends on how well you coordinate with your team, evaluate the information necessary, and use the knowledge and tools you have available. This is your design technique, and it's key to how successful you are as a designer. We will look at the various aspects of design technique and give the attendees a guideline to developing their technique. Design is the integration of people, knowledge, the laws of nature, and creativity with a specified goal. That's just about everything. Speakers: Ted Barnes, PE Associate Technical Fellow, Structural Design, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) Ron Bohanick, PE Associate Technical Fellow, Mechanical Systems, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) Jim Clayton, Technical Fellow, Structural Design & Aircraft Integration, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) Frank Tomich, Process & System Integration, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS)
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM	SAE AeroTech Congress and Exhibition - Opening Reception (Exhibit Hall)
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM	Technical Session: Professional Development and Success Through Standards Participation Standards are the single largest source of technical data used in the design, manufacture and operation of aerospace products. Participating in the development of these standards can provide a tremendous opportunity for an engineer to grow. Being a member of standards committee provides an instant network to the top industry experts in a technical domain, exposes the participant to the latest state-of-the-art aspects of a technology, and affords an individual with numerous leadership opportunities. No other venue offers a new engineer with such a wide number of ways to enrich their knowledge and increase their value to a company. This session will begin with a broad overview of the world of external standards and how participation in standards can enrich a career. It will move on to provide a more in-depth look at SAE International, the largest developer of aerospace standards in the world. And the session wraps up specific examples of how an aerospace engineer applies standards as a part of the job. Attendees will leave with timely, relevant information which is immediately applicable to any aerospace career. Speakers: Laura Hitchcock, Senior Standards Specialist, Standards Strategy and Policy, The Boeing Company Richard A. Johnson, Systems Safety and Airworthiness Chief Engineer, Environmental Control System Safety and Airworthiness Manager, Boeing Edward Manns, Manager, Aerospace Standards at SAE International
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM	Panel: Doing your Job: What all Early Career Engineers Need to Know Moderator: Burt Dicht “How do I select a mentor?” “Should I could continue on the technical track or take the management track?” “I’m a good engineer, but I keep getting passed over for promotion. What I’m I doing wrong?” “I have difficulty working for my boss. He doesn’t understand me. How can I improve this relationship? “How do I prepare myself for these challenging economic times?” “Should I get a Master’s in Engineering or go for the MBA?” These are just a sampling of questions asked by early career engineers as they progress through the beginning stages of their careers. It’s not easy to navigate these sometimes confusing and treacherous waters of a career path. An engineering education focuses on developing the technical and critical thinking skills necessary to carry out the assigned engineering tasks. But little is mentioned of how to manage a career path. There are people issues to overcome, there are non-technical skills that are just as necessary and there are a myriad of decisions that must be made to maximize an engineer’s career. This panel session, which includes, experienced engineers as well as current early career engineers, will focus on many of the issues early career engineers should know to better manage their careers. Whatever has happened to you or whatever career issue you will come across, someone else has been there at some point in their career. Get a head’s-up on these career issues and learn from experience how to handle them so that you can make the right decisions for your own career. After some brief introductory remarks from each panelist, members of the audience will have a chance to ask the panelists questions and interact in an informative discussion format. Speakers: Frank Carus, Engineering’s Vehicle Structures Director, Strike and Surveillance Systems Engineering, Northrop Grumman Giorgio Accolti-Gil, Sector Director - Chief Engineers, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Timothy Hinerman, Combustion Devices Analyst, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) Anita Rebarchak, Manufacturing Engineer, Pratt & Whitney
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM	Lunch Presentation & Q&A Session Janet Petro: Deputy Director of the Kennedy Space Center
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Film:Lunar Module Film Networking with Industry Leaders

Sponsored by