On Tuesday former NASA astronaut and current executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sandra Magnus visited the University in an effort to kickstart the University’s AIAA chapter.
While the University does not offer an aerospace engineering major, students can join the professional organization, the AIAA.
“We want to get back on people’s minds,” said mechanical engineering senior Anthony Thompson. “A lot of people think about the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for networking, but nobody thinks about AIAA.”
Thompson developed an interest in aerospace engineering in college, but found relevant networking difficult.
According to Thompson, major corporations associated with aerospace engineering do not attend career fairs at the University.
“It makes it difficult as a student to contact them,” Thompson said. “I had to go to a career fair in New Orleans.”
Magnus, having graduated with an undergraduate degree in physics and a master’s degree in electrical engineering, said she encourages students with an interest in an aerospace engineering career to get involved with experience-intensive projects because that is what the industry is looking for.
“Some think you have to have an aerospace engineering degree to work in the industry, but that is not the case,” Magnus said.
Several students were able to speak to Magnus about their undergraduate senior design projects, often funded by LaSPACE and NASA, where she emphasized the importance of communication and work between different disciplines.
One such project, also employing electrical engineering, examines bacteria’s ability to survive in high altitude environments.
“We’re developing an air sampling tool for the biology department,” said mechanical engineering senior Nathan Bergquist.
Using a remote control device, the group will be able to gather data related to high altitude temperature, humidity, pressure and flow rate said electrical engineering senior Matthew Loupe.
Bergquist said their project could potentially help scientists discover where life is sustainable in the universe.
“When you do student design projects like this, you can show that you worked in groups with the practical side of engineering,” Magnus said.
“Some think you have to have an aerospace engineering degree to work in the industry, but that is not the case.”

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Connor Tarter

Executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sandra Magnus speaks to LSU engineering students about their projects Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014 in the Engineering Annex Building.