All AE alumni are invited to join the first alumni networking session of 2023. This quarterly virtual event will feature two AE alums showcasing the projects or new technologies they work on. Following the lightning talk presentations we'll have Q&A and an opportunity to catch up with other alums on the meeting. Featured alumni include:
Blaine Brown (BS '81) - Orion Spacecraft Mechanical Systems Director
Blaine Brown currently manages the Orion Spacecraft Mechanical Systems (SMS) Engineering team responsible for the design, development, test, certification, and delivery of NASA's Orion human rated Crew Module, Service Module, and Launch Abort System. He manages all technical, financial, and administrative aspects of a diverse SMS team of approximately 500 engineers across half a dozen states.
Peter Grega (BS '15) - Verification & Validation Engineer at Xwing
After graduating from Illinois with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Peter spent 7 years working for Rolls-Royce as a Control Systems Engineer in Indianapolis. While there, he spent time developing and testing safety critical flight software for Full Authority Digital Engine Controllers (FADECs). In 2022, Peter joined Xwing as a Verification Engineer. Xwing is a San-Francisco based startup which is working on certifying an autonomous retrofit for a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. In April of 2021, Xwing completed the world's first fully autonomous gate-to-gate flight. Since then, Xwing has earned awards as one of Time's Best Inventions in 2021, and one of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas in 2022