Auburn Graduate Awarded Prestigious National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for Bird Flight Research
Matthew Hooks, a master’s student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University, recently received the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD). Hooks was the only awardee from Auburn University this year out of 3,392 applicants, making the acceptance rate less than 5%. His research focuses on the aerodynamic performance of birds during flapping flight and investigates how surface textures on their feathers improve their flight.
Investigating Birds’ Aerodynamic Performance
Hooks earned his undergraduate degree in engineering physics from Murray State University and joined Auburn University with the goal of investigating birds’ flight patterns and developing software solutions for physical problems. His proposal, which landed him the NDSEG fellowship, aims to understand whether the surface texture on bird wings, such as converging-diverging riblets, improves aerodynamic performance.
“Birds use their wings to make mid-flight adjustments effortlessly,” Hooks said. “Our goal is to understand how they accomplish this and apply this knowledge to the design of aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Partnering with the Raptor Center
Hooks’ academic mentor, Vrishank Raghav, associate professor in aerospace engineering, selected him for the NDSEG scholarship after learning about his academic aspirations in a personal statement to Auburn. Raghav also has an interest in birds’ flight patterns and partnered with the Auburn University Raptor Center, a division of the College of Veterinary Medicine, to study how birds can quickly adapt to changing weather conditions.
The Raptor Center is a rehabilitation and education facility that provides critical education and conservation efforts for raptors. Hooks volunteers at the Raptor Center, and this is one reason why he’s staying at Auburn to pursue his doctoral degree after finishing his master’s degree.
Impact of NSDEG Fellowship
The DOD offers these fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated the ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering to increase the number of U.S. citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance. The NSDEG’s three-year fellowship allows all recipients to attend whichever U.S. institution they choose, paying for full tuition and all mandatory fees.
“The NDSEG fellowship is a testament to his perseverance and hard work. I look forward to working with him on this exciting project,” Raghav said.
Hooks is grateful for the opportunity provided by Auburn University and the fellowship. “When I first started at Auburn, fluid physics was foreign to me, but the aerospace engineering department has helped ramp up my understanding of physics in the context of bird flight. I wouldn’t have been able to write the narrative and make sense of my proposed research without the help of Dr. Raghav, multiple faculty members at Auburn, and my fellow lab members in the Applied Fluids Research Group,” Hooks said.
Since the program’s inception in 1989, more than 4,400 fellowships have been awarded to scholars who have gone on to make numerous contributions to science and engineering fields of critical importance to national defense.
Wrapping Up
The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship is a prestigious award that recognizes the scientific excellence and military relevance of the student’s research. Hooks’ exceptional achievement is not only a testament to his outstanding work but also to the quality of education and research at Auburn University. This fascinating research has the potential to revolutionize aircraft design and inspire innovations in the field of aerospace engineering.
Originally Post From https://eng.auburn.edu/news/2024/07/matthew-hooks-ndseg-fellow.html
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