MDO Lab Student Recognized at International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences

The Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) Lab’s Graduate Student Research Assistant Hannah Hajdik recently received the John McCarthy Student Award at the 34th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS). The ICAS McCarthy Award was established to recognize young research students working in aeronautics and is awarded based on the quality of the written paper and the author’s presentation.

Hajdik’s awarded paper, “Aerodynamic shape optimization of filleted intersections with surface mesh deformation,” featured methods for addressing intersecting surface components in aircraft design, such as where the wing meets the fuselage, to reduce interference drag. These methods can then lead to performance gains for the aircraft using shape optimization to improve these intersection regions while ensuring the aircraft geometry stays intact.

“I’m glad I got to present at ICAS and represent the MDO Lab and U-M Aero, and I’m honored that our research was recognized by the student award committee,” Hajdik commented upon receiving the award. 

Hajdik and her co-author, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Anil Yildirim, are both part of the MDO Lab with advisor Professor Joaquim R. R. A. Martins. The lab aims to assist in the design of coupled engineering systems through the use of numerical methods for analysis and design optimization.

In addition to receiving the John McCarthy Student Award at the ICAS, Hajdik has previously received the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship. This Fellowship, established in honor of famed pilot Amelia Earhart, is awarded annually to women pursuing PhD/doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences.