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| Aerospace engineer Trong Bui is working with the College of Engineering on developing a university-level rocket flight research facility with the help of NASA. |
In this case, it truly is rocket science when Aerospace Engineering students learn about rocket propulsion, computational fluid dynamics and aircraft jet propulsion from a top-notch industry expert.
Trong Bui, an aerospace engineer at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, is serving as visiting fellow in the Aerospace Engineering department during the 2005-06 academic year. This fall, his ARO 414 Rocket Propulsion class attracted more than 35 seniors — the largest number of students in a technical elective in the College of Engineering in many years.
Bui brings not only 15 years of research experience in the field but also a rocket grant from NASA that enables the College of Engineering to acquire valuable research equipment. Together with the Aerospace Engineering faculty, he proposed and received approval for a university-level rocket flight research facility at Cal Poly Pomona from the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The facility will include a state-of-the-art system for the analysis of rockets and other advanced aerospace technologies, allowing students to obtain practical hands-on experience to complement their classroom instruction in rocketry.
Bui began his association with Cal Poly Pomona in 2000 as a part-time instructor for the Graduate External Degree Program in Aerospace Engineering. As a fellow, he taught ARO 419 Computational Fluid Dynamics in the winter, and he will teach ARO 312 Aircraft Jet Propulsion during the spring quarter.
“Trong is a true rocket scientist and a man of energy, enthusiasm and a lot of technical ideas,” says Ali Ahmadi, chair of Aerospace Engineering. “We are delighted to have Trong in our department and we're enjoying a very productive year working with him.”