Follow Us:

Sarah O'Donnell

Before Sarah O'Donnell finished her mechanical engineering degree at the University of Virginia, she knew she wanted to focus on aviation and was particularly interested in researching potential nanotechnology applications in aviation. She found her niche at MITRE, home to a wide variety of nanotechnology research, and MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD), the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC).

O'Donnell, a simulation modeling engineer for CAASD, first came to MITRE in 2001 as one of a group of students working on nanotechnology projects at MITRE. "When I started at MITRE I was working for James Ellenbogen in the Nanosystems Group, working on microscale heat transfer and learning about quantum dot cellular automata for nanocomputing," she says. "Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to brainstorm applications of nanotechnology to aviation—examining how aircraft, airports, and airspace could be enhanced by innovations in nanotechnology," says O'Donnell.

"I've always been intrigued by how things work, especially aircraft, sailboats, and even surfboards," she continues. "As a kid I was fascinated with how things fly and how aircraft were built. I even took the opportunity to study a little spacecraft design in college, which is not ordinarily a part of the mechanical engineering curriculum."

After joining MITRE CAASD full-time in 2002, O'Donnell became the principal investigator of a MITRE research project focusing on nanotechnology trends in materials and their impact on aviation. She is investigating the potential impacts of carbon nanotube reinforced polymer composites in aircraft structures. Innovations in nanotechnology, such as the carbon nanotube, may lead to multifunctional (i.e., strong, light, and highly conductive) composite materials that have the potential to enhance the performance, safety, and security of aircraft and air traffic systems.

O'Donnell credits her MITRE mentor, CAASD's David Maroney, for helping her get acclimated to CAASD and aviation research. "David has been an incredible source of information," she says. "He really facilitated my understanding of CAASD's role in aviation research. He was also instrumental in illustrating what's beyond the airplane and how improvements in aircraft performance could impact the entire national airspace system."

O'Donnell's research in nanotechnology applications to aviation has also led to note-worthy opportunities outside of MITRE. After hearing O'Donnell's research briefing, Senior Information Systems Engineer Debby Kirkman encouraged O'Donnell to submit her project for consideration in the 14th Annual Women in Aviation Conference. It was accepted, and O'Donnell made her presentation at the March 2003 conference.

(From left): MITRE's Sarah O'Donnell, Michelle Duquette, Lillian Ryals, and Debby Kirkman staffed a booth and participated in the proceedings of the 14th Annual Women in Aviation Conference.

"Presenting my research at the conference was a real learning experience," she says. "I was used to giving briefings to students and MITRE managers—but the conference participants were very different. They asked a lot of diverse questions, ranging from inquiries about the mechanics of aircraft to the potential impacts of using composite materials in the airframe. For example, how would things like corrosion, lightning strikes, and electrical system maintenance affect the materials?"

She has also presented her research in other important aviation industry and FAA fora, including the RTCA Free Flight Steering Committee, an industry advisory group to the FAA; the FAA's FFRDC Executive Board, which includes FAA's senior management team; and CAASD's Aviation Advisory Committee, which is composed of aviation industry executives.

Looking back over her first year, O'Donnell is grateful for both the challenges and opportunities available at MITRE. "I love nanotechnology as a discipline—its combination of electrical and mechanical engineering, physics, biology, mathematics, and chemistry is fascinating," she says. "The work is challenging and extraordinarily interesting. Plus, at MITRE you are encouraged to pursue new technologies and explore other possibilities. The opportunities here are incredible."

—by Kay M. Upham

Related Information

Articles and News

• 2003 MITRE Technology Symposium - Modeling, Simulation, and Training

Technical Papers and Presentations

• Impact of Nanotechnology in Materials

Websites

• MITRE Nanosystems Group