MSU aerospace engineering receives $50,000 from Northrop Grumman

Contact: Phil Hearn

Participating in the $50,000 check presentation ceremony were (l-r) Mississippi State Dean of Engineering Kirk H. Schulz; MSU aerospace engineering professor and department head Tony Vizzini; Allen Lockyer, manager of Advanced Structures Development, Integrated Systems, Western Region, for Northrop Grumman; and Northrop Grumman's Tod Palm, Integrated Product Team Leader, Integrated Systems, Western Region.
Participating in the $50,000 check presentation ceremony were (l-r) Mississippi State Dean of Engineering Kirk H. Schulz; MSU aerospace engineering professor and department head Tony Vizzini; Allen Lockyer, manager of Advanced Structures Development, Integrated Systems, Western Region, for Northrop Grumman; and Northrop Grumman's Tod Palm, Integrated Product Team Leader, Integrated Systems, Western Region.

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State aerospace engineering students soon will benefit from $50,000 in funding received from Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.

Representatives from the Los Angeles-based aerospace design company presented the check Friday [Nov. 11] to Kirk Schulz, dean of the Bagley College of Engineering, and aerospace engineering department head Tony Vizzini.

The majority of the funds will be used to establish the Northrop Grumman Endowed Scholarship to assist deserving MSU students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering. Preference will be given to those students from areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

"High-technology companies across the nation, like Northrop Grumman, continue to face a critical shortage of specialized engineering personnel," said Paul K. Meyer, sector vice president of Advanced Capabilities Development at Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "Through this endowment, we hope to motivate some of the brightest and best students to seek careers in aerospace engineering."

MSU officials said a portion of the funds will be designated to the aerospace engineering department's advancement fund to help provide support for student design teams participating in competitions such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Design/Build/Fly international competition.

In addition, the funds will help establish a distinguished lecture series within aerospace engineering and also assist with other needs of the department.

"We appreciate this significant gift from Northrop Grumman in support of our aerospace engineering program," said Schulz. "It will provide additional funds to support priority needs within the ASE department."

The aerospace engineering department also is participating in Northrop Grumman's Industrial Associates Program. MSU aerospace engineering will team with NGIS to study polyimide composite airframe durability and resistance to cracking when exposed to a cryogenic environment, officials said.

"This is a great opportunity to expose our students to an internationally respected aerospace company and also allows us to build a relationship with them based upon research and student development," said Vizzini.

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is a premier aerospace systems company that designs, develops, produces and supports airborne systems and subsystems for the various U.S. military divisions and governmental agencies, including the Department of Defense. The company has served as the prime or principal subcontractor on systems such as the B-2 Spirit Bomber and Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle.

For more information, contact Julie Lemons at (662) 325-8098 or jlemons@engr.msstate.edu.