Two Eagle Scouts Win Big in National Science Competition
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio—During the 2003 Dayton Air Show, five
Century of Flight Awards were presented by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Each of five students, including two Eagle Scouts, was awarded cash prizes
totaling $17,000 by Maj. Gen. Paul Nielsen, Air Force Research Laboratory commander,
in addition to a free trip to Dayton to attend the Centennial of Flight celebration
for the winner and a parent.
- Stephen Kennedy of Indianapolis, Indiana, won $3,000 for his research
into "Creating an Effective and Efficient Cooling Method for Turbine
Blades." This award highlights one of Kennedy's many accomplishments.
He was recently accepted to the Rose-Hulman Institute and will study
mechanical engineering on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. Kennedy is
an Eagle Scout and has won numerous awards, such as the Michael Faraday
Award, a high school award for top honors. Kennedy hopes to be an Air
Force officer with both engineering and flying assignments. Stephen is
the son of Judy and Bill Kennedy.
- Eric Mueller, Acton Middle School, Granbury, Texas, won $2,000 for a
paper titled "Icing Is Such a Drag: Aerodynamic Effects of Ice Accretion
on Wings at Multiple Angles of Attack." This award highlights one of
Mueller's many accomplishments. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout
before the age of 15, built a wind tunnel for aerodynamic testing,
and has competed in national and international science competitions.
He enjoys golf, snowboarding/skiing, computer games, and reading.
Mueller hopes to attend the Air Force Academy and become a pilot. Eric
is the son of Bob and Hilary Mueller.
The contest dovetails with Dayton's Inventing Flight event, which kicked off
in July, celebrating the 100th anniversary of powered flight and the innovation
of the Wright brothers. The AFRL-sponsored competition was a one-time event
conducted in 2003 as part of the Centennial of Flight celebration. The idea to
conduct a science contest was developed by the 2003 planning committee as a way
to involve students in Dayton's anniversary activities.
"What better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight than to encourage
tomorrow's leaders to pursue aerospace science - and in turn help develop the Air
Force's future technologies?" said program manager Sue Sobieski, AFRL Plans and
Programs.
According to Sobieski, about 800 students who competed in regional and state
science fairs across the United States were given the opportunity to submit a
10-page paper based on their research and its possible aerospace applications.
From that group, 175 stepped forward to meet the challenge. "One of the key
criteria was that students had to demonstrate the potential positive impact of
their research on Air Force capabilities," explained Sobieski.
Scientists from AFRL technology directorates evaluated the entries, and the
final selection of winners was determined by the AFRL Research Council, headed up
by chief technologist Dr. Barbara Wilson.
"I enjoyed reading the papers - the quality of the projects was very impressive,"
said Wilson. "Some could well have been published as articles in professional
journals! The students' excitement about their projects also came through loud
and clear, and I hope the experience will encourage them to consider careers in
science and engineering. Their projects clearly demonstrate great potential to
become members of the next generation of world-class scientists and
engineers."