harding usli "flying bison" team
name: Dr. Ed Wilson
team title: Team Offical
official title: Harding University Professor of Chemistry
other: Dr. Wilson's Resume
name: James E. Mackey
team title: Professor of Physics
official title: Department of Engineering Physics
other: Dr. Mackey's Resume
name: Greg Lyons
team title: Project Leader / Safety Official
major: Physics, Mathematics
career plans: Doctorate in astrophysics; Tenure at a modern research university; Experimental and observational research in astrophysical and planetary sciences.
other: NASA/ASGC Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipient. I have been involved in the Flying Bison team since 2007, and have developed a strong knowledge of high-powered rocketry and a good set of organizational skills. Outside of the USLI project, I am involved in the Honors College Council, research assistantships with Edmond Wilson, Ph.D. and Lambert Murray, Ph.D., tutoring of high-school and college students, and lab assisting for the Physics department. I maintain a GPA of 4.00 with 18 credit hours in progress.
name: David Stair
team title: Senior Engineer
other: David is a native of the Searcy area who has worked many diverse jobs, from being Silver Dollar City's "Resident Artist" in the mid 70's, to owning and operating his own company in Houston, Texas where he built many technical models for industrial equipment. Over two years of his time in Houston were spent working for a company contracted to NASA where he was Project Engineer for the CCTII, a full-scale crew compartment trainer for the astronauts. David lives in Searcy where he does odd (and usually difficult) technical projects and computer graphics. He tries to put his design expertise to good use as a consultant to the Harding Flying Bisons Rocket Group.
name: Paul Elliot
team title: Rocket Design and Simulation
major: Mechanical Engineering
career plans: Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering specializing in alternate and renewable energies, followed by work in applied engineering for international development.
other: NASA/ASGC Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipient. Involvement in the Flying Bison team since 2006. I maintain a GPA of 3.87 on 139 credit hours.
name: Megan Bush
team title: Exhaust Plume Studies
major: Senior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
career plans: Medicine
other: NASA/ASGC Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipient. I have been involved in the Harding University Flying Bison USLI Rocket Team since its inception two years ago. I have served as the Outreach Coordinator and the Secretary for the past two years. This year I will again be the Outreach Coordinator. I will also be conducting the static tests of the rocket motors at our Hybrid Rocket Test Facility. This complements my NASA research which is to measure the concentrations of chemicals in the exhaust plumes of hybrid rocket motors by spectroscopy. My GPA is 3.5 and I will graduate in May 2009.
name: Steven Barber
team title: Data Acquisition and Handling
major: Physics
career plans: What I do immediately after obtaining a doctorate in physics will depend on what catches my interest, but I ultimately intend to become a professor, with my focus on teaching.
other: This is my first year on Harding's USLI team, and because I am a senior, it is also my last. My interest and contribution to the team lies primarily in the rocket's payload, specifically the means of processing data. I completed a NASA/ASGC undergraduate research fellowship this summer with Dr. Edmond Wilson, during which we attended a workshop on rocket payloads that will be useful for this project. I have served as a physics tutor and lab assistant, as well as a chemistry stockroom assistant. I have a minor in math and am also interested in computer science.
name: Nathan Smeal
team title: Avionics and Telemtry
major: Computer Engineering
career plans: Considering graduate work in electrical engineering and working in the private sector.
other: NASA/ASGC Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipient. Currently involved in undergraduate research with Edmond Wilson Ph. D. I am a senior with a 3.24 GPA taking 14 credit hours.
name: Jon Langford
team title: Avionics and Telemetry
major: Electrical Engineering
career plans: Possible MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering; attempt and pass the F.E. and P.E. exams.
other: Over the last 4 years I have been involved in implementing electronic medical records for Georgia Urology. I am also the tutor for the Engineering Department at Harding University. I tutor Circuits 1 and 2, Digital Logic Design, and Signals and Systems. I am also the lab assistant for the classes that use the Analog Circuit Lab. Besides tutoring for Harding University, I privately tutor many students from Harding Academy in mathematics and science subjects. I maintain a GPA of 3.7 with 15
name: Matt Goodhart
team title: Motor Testing and Handling
major: Mechanical Engineering
career plans: Masters in Mechanical Engineering; focus on robotics and nanotechnology in medicinal or military research.
other: I tutor physics and higher mathematics to high school and college students. I maintain a 3.7 GPA with 14 credit hours in progress.