People

Dr. Kevin Shinpaugh:Dr. Shinpaugh has taught Spacecraft Design in the Aerospace Engineering department at Virginia Tech since Fall of 2006 and is the faculty adviser for Rocketry @ Virginia Tech and our associated design teams. The students are introduced to Hall's Seven Steps of Systems Engineering as a generalized framework with additions from the NASA Engineering Handbook. Each year the students are given a selection of 4-6 design projects, which are taken from AIAA student design competition, NIA RASC-AL, NASA competitions (Lunabotics) and other projects (including High Altitude Balloons, Sounding Rocket and CubeSat projects). Teams have placed first three times and placed second four times over the last 5 years in the AIAA design competitions. He has Tripoli Rocketry Association level 2 certification and has been flying High Powered Rockets since 1998 and model rockets for over 35 years. His favorite rocket to fly is a "K" powered "flying pyramid of death."

Fareez Chowdhury:Fareez is a senior Mechanical Engineering, originally from Falls Church, Virginia. He serves as club president, and is also captain and avionics lead for the IREC team.

Magda Moses:

Magda is a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics and is originally from Falls Church, Virginia. She is also payload lead for the IREC team.

Brad Smith:Brad is a junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and is originally from Ashville, North Carolina. He serves as club treasurer, and serves as the aerodynamics lead on the IREC team.