Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is pleased to announce Bell engineer Mark Dreier has been named the Barnes W. McCormick Honorary Lecturer by the Pennsylvania State University Aerospace Engineering Department.
The McCormick Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering was established in 2001 in honor of Dr. Barnes W. McCormick, former head of the Penn State Aerospace Engineering Department. The award is presented twice annually to a graduate of the Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering, recognizing him or her for technical expertise in aeronautics or astronautics.
“Bell engineering is committed to help increase interest in engineering careers and build a strong talent pipeline for continued innovation in the aerospace industry,” said Jeff Lowinger, executive vice president Bell Helicopter engineering and Xworx. “We are honored to align our engineering program with Penn State – one of the premier Vertical Lift Research Centers in the nation.”
“I would like to personally congratulate Mark Dreier on this accomplishment. It is because of engineers like Mark, that we are able to increase engagement and involvement of young students and drive further advancements in engineering,” said Lowinger.
Mark is the McCormick Honorary Lecturer for the Fall 2010 semester. Honorary lecturers share their professional experiences with students and faculty of the Department and help in the development of future leaders in aerospace engineering.
In his first lecture on September 15, he presented the topic of Vortex Ring State and reflected on the lessons learned in his more than 30 years experience.
“I am humbled that Penn State has presented me with this prestigious honor and look forward to presenting to the group as both an alumnus and Bell Helicopter representative,” said Mark Dreier, Bell Helicopter staff engineer in the advanced concepts and preliminary design group. “I’m in awe of the education and capabilities the Penn State faculty are providing today’s students. They are deeply committed to the education and welfare of their students, students who will eventually become the future leaders of our industry.”
Mark Dreier received both a bachelor’s of science and master’s of science in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He has more than 30 years experience in simulation, control theory and soft computing. Dreier joined Bell Helicopter’s simulation group in 1982 as the lead programmer on the generic tilt rotor simulation program and has held positions of increasing responsibility within the company since that time.
He is an adjunct instructor of helicopter aerodynamics and simulation at the University of Texas at Arlington, and an invited lecturer in the Penn State Short Course on Flight Simulation and Avionics.
Mark is the author of the Fuzzy Logic Development Kit (FULDEK) and the AIAA textbook Introduction to Helicopter and Tiltrotor Flight Simulation published in 2007 and taught Soft Computing courses to international audiences. He holds a U.S. patent and two L.D. Bell Pioneer Awards for limit cueing and vortex ring state simulation.
In 2008, the American Helicopter Society named Mark a Technical Fellow and in 2010, presented an eight-hour short course on rotorcraft simulation modeling at the 66th annual AHS Forum. Mark holds a private pilot’s license.
About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell’s global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company , Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
